Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institutehttp://trauma.memorialhermann.org/
en-usThu, 24 Jan 2019 09:13:05 GMTMemorial Hermann Katy Opens Pediatric Emergency Center and Inpatient Care Unithttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-katy-opens-pediatric-emergency-center-and-inpatient-care-unit/
Memorial
Hermann Katy Hospital’s new Pediatric Emergency Center is now open to receive
patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Emergency Center complements
the hospital’s new dedicated pediatric inpatient unit and helps meet the need
for specialized, round-the-clock pediatric emergency care in Katy and the
greater west Houston area.“As Katy
continues to grow, it needs more access points for round-the-clock care,
available for all ages, closer to home,” said Heath Rushing, Senior Vice
President and CEO of Memorial
Hermann Katy and Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital. “Emergency
medical situations occur at every hour of the day and how those are addressed
can differ between adults and children. We are able to provide emergency care
for all ages at all hours.”Adult and
pediatric services at Children’s
Memorial Hermann Hospital and Red Duke Trauma Institute at
Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center’s Level I trauma center can be
accessed through all Memorial Hermann Emergency
Centers and hospitals if a higher level of care is needed. The
differences in pediatric and adult Emergency Centers range from size and scope
of equipment to the expertise of physicians, nurses and staff who are specially
trained to administer care and relate to patients and parents. “The goal
of emergency care is the same regardless of age, but the physiology of adults
and children are different,” said Linda Stephens, Vice President and Chief
Nursing Officer at Memorial Hermann Katy. “Having physicians and nurses
specially trained to treat a patient with those physiological differences increases
the likelihood of a child receiving the most appropriate level of care in the
most efficient and compassionate manner possible.”Typical
reasons requiring pediatric emergency medical care may include:Trouble
breathingA
bone fractureLoss
of consciousnessUncontrollable
bleedingBurnsIn some
instances, high fevers, allergic reactions, ingested objects, severe prolonged
headaches, coughing, and vomiting and/or diarrhea may require emergency care,
but typically can be addressed by an Urgent Care
or pediatrician.Pediatric primary
care is available on the Memorial Hermann Katy campus through Memorial
Hermann Medical Group and Blue
Fish Pediatrics Katy, and in the surrounding area through Memorial Hermann
Convenient Care Center in Katy and Memorial
Hermann Medical Group Firethorne. To learn
more about services at Memorial Hermann Katy, call 713-222-CARE (2273). To
locate a physician near you and conveniently schedule an
appointment online.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 09:13:05 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-katy-opens-pediatric-emergency-center-and-inpatient-care-unit/Red Duke Trauma Physician Innovates with Treatment for Heatstrokehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/red-duke-trauma-physician-innovates-with-treatment-for-heatstroke/
Heatstroke is serious business. When the body reaches temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), the risk of permanent organ damage and even death rises with each degree. So, when rescuers brought a construction worker to Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center with a body temperature of 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 Celsius), there was no time to waste.
“The body does not like to be at that temperature for long,” said Dr. Samuel Prater, director of emergency services at Red Duke Trauma Institute, who led the team that treated the patient. The longer body temperature remains elevated, the greater the risk of damage to the brain, heart and other vital organs.
Traditionally, emergency room staff bring body temperature down by packing the patient’s groin and axilla with ice packs and applying cooling blankets. They can also administer cold fluids by IV or insert chest tubes to circulate ice water in for chest lavage. According to Dr. Prater, these methods generally take one to two physicians as well as several nurses to administer, and it can take a few hours to bring the temperature down.
This time, Prater decided to try something new. The staff had just finished training on an invasive catheter system designed to cool the body after a patient experiences cardiac arrest, the Zoll Thermogard XP® Temperature Management System. To use the system, the physician inserts a catheter into the central venous system via femoral, subclavian or internal jugular vein, allowing cooled saline solution to circulate through the body in a closed loop. Developed to cool the body after a heart attack to help improve neurological outcomes, Red Duke Trauma Institute had been using the system for six to eight months with good success, says Dr. Prater. “We knew how well it worked for cardiac arrest patients taking a patient from a normal temperature to a very low temperature,” Dr. Prater explained. That track record made him think it might work to bring down temperature in hyperthermia cases like the construction worker.
Dr. Prater inserted the intravascular cooling catheter rapidly, then “let the machine do the work” of lowering the patient’s temperature. Meanwhile the nurses monitored his vitals, checked his glucose, and examined him for any metabolic abnormalities, bleeding in the brain or signs of heart attack.
Within an hour, the patient’s temperature was down to 101. In less than 30 minutes more, it had dropped to 100. At that point, Prater disconnected the patient from the system to keep him from becoming hypothermic.
Apart from a bit of short-term memory loss about how he got to Red Duke Trauma Institute, the patient walked out of the facility with no obvious deficits-- not a common outcome with a temperature that high.
Prater is sold on the method, which achieved cooling much faster and with less staff time and effort. “I would never again try to put chest tubes in somebody to lavage their chest with ice water or use external cooling measures like packing their groin or armpits with ice packs,” he said. “This was just so much quicker this way and much less resource-intensive.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 03:55:55 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/red-duke-trauma-physician-innovates-with-treatment-for-heatstroke/Study Shows New EMS Technique Improves Cardiac Arrest Survival Ratehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/study-shows-new-ems-technique-improves-cardiac-arrest-survival-rate/
A recent study led by McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and funded by the NIH showed that cardiac arrest patients resuscitated by paramedics using laryngeal tube insertion versus endotracheal intubation were more likely to survive. Results were published in the August 28, 2018, issue of JAMA, in an NIH press release and in a McGovern Medical School article.
“This is one of the first randomized trials to show that a paramedic airway intervention can improve cardiac arrest survival,” said lead author Henry E. Wang, MD, MS, professor and vice chair for research in the department of Emergency Medicine at McGovern Medical School. “Based upon these results, use of the newer, more flexible tube could result in thousands of saved lives every year,” says Dr. Wang.
Funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the study is the largest of its kind to test oxygen delivery methods used by firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics.
Dr. Wang describes the study as a multicenter head-to-head comparison between the newer intubation tube and a traditional one. The study was conducted by the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium research network and included the Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Portland communities.
“For over three decades, emergency medical services personnel in the U.S. have performed intubation to deliver oxygen into the lungs of cardiac arrest victims. While identical to techniques used by doctors in the hospital, intubation in the prehospital setting is very difficult and fraught with errors,” says Dr. Wang. “Our trial showed that cardiac arrest patients treated using the newer and easier laryngeal tube device may have a higher survival rate.”
Sudden cardiac arrest, or loss of mechanical activity of the heart, is usually caused by a heart attack. More than 400,000 individuals are treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year, with the vast majority occurring at home, according to the American Heart Association. Studies show that only about 10 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital survive. Delivery of oxygen to the lungs is a critical part of reviving a patient from cardiac arrest.
The research study – Pragmatic Airway Resuscitation Trial (PART) – compared survival rates among 3,000 adults with cardiac arrest treated by paramedic crews from 27 emergency medical services (EMS) agencies from December 2015 to November 2016. Approximately half received the newer laryngeal tube airway management, while the other half received traditional endotracheal intubation.
Overall, survival was higher in the new tube device group than in the standard intubation group. With the new tube, 18.3 percent survived three days in the hospital, while in the intubation group, 15.4 percent survived three days. A total of 10.8 percent in the new tube group survived to leave the hospital, while 8.1 percent in the intubation group survived to leave the hospital. The proportion of patients surviving with good brain function was also higher for the new device than standard intubation.
While additional research is needed to support the study’s findings, the researchers believe that the benefits of the newer airway device are due to its easier technique, leading to better blood flow and oxygen delivery. They are continuing to analyze the data to gain additional insight into the study results.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 12:33:25 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/study-shows-new-ems-technique-improves-cardiac-arrest-survival-rate/Memorial Hermann Tops Out New Sarofim Pavilionhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/memorial-hermann-tops-out-new-sarofim-pavilion/
On September 24, 2018, Memorial Hermann celebrated the topping out of its new 17-story Susan and Fayez Sarofim Pavilion, under construction at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (“Memorial Hermann – TMC”). Construction of the tower is expected to be complete in 2020.
Topping out is a historical tradition in building construction, celebrating when the structure of a building has reached a significant milestone of completion. In the case of its new tower, Memorial Hermann celebrated completion of steel framing on the main Sarofim Pavilion structure.
Prior to the ceremony, all Memorial Hermann-TMC campus employees were invited to sign the topping-out beam. Employees included well wishes for the future, noted their years of service and snapped photos of their signatures and with their colleagues as they signed. The beam will be installed in the future John S. Dunn Heliport maintenance garage and will remain visible to future visitors of the helipad.
Expanding Critical Care Services
Sarofim Pavilion will be home to:
The Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-TMCMemorial Hermann Life Flight®, including the John S. Dunn Helistop and dispatch center; and the John S. Burn Center, the only comprehensive burn center in Houston verified by the American Burn AssociationNew pediatric facilities including a pediatric hybrid OR, a pediatric cath lab and shelled space for an additional pediatric cath lab, to be built in the futureOther critical care services
The tower is part of a $700 million expansion and renovation of the Memorial Hermann-TMC campus, which will include:
148 additional beds26 operating rooms (19 replacement and five additional)16 additional emergency center baysMore than 900 new parking spaces335-seat caféSeven shelled (unfinished) floors and four shelled operating rooms to accommodate future growthNew Trauma Hybrid OR
One of the most exciting aspects of the new facility will be a new trauma hybrid operating room (“OR”), a large operating room dedicated to caring for the most critically injured trauma patients. The new OR will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and will allow surgeons to perform both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. In the new OR, surgeons will have the ability to perform a CT scan of the head, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis on the operating room table and perform both angiographic and open procedures.
“Early hemorrhage control improves survival in trauma patients. Select trauma patients will be transported directly from the helipad or ambulance bay to the hybrid OR to expedite surgical hemorrhage control,” says Michelle McNutt, MD, trauma surgeon affiliated with Memorial Hermann.” The hybrid OR will bring all technology to the patient and allow more efficient and timely care. This should lead to improved outcomes in our most critically injured patients.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:46:34 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/memorial-hermann-tops-out-new-sarofim-pavilion/Memorial Hermann Life Flight Now Offers IFR Servicehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/memorial-hermann-life-flight-now-offers-ifr-service/
Only helicopter filight program in Southeast Texas to offer IFR service for all patientsMemorial Hermann Life Flight® can now conduct flights under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). IFR flights are flown by reference to aircraft flight instruments and advanced navigation systems and don’t require visual cues. This capability allows Life Flight crews to fly when weather conditions might restrict flight under Visual Flight Rules, or VFR, enabling them to respond to more requests and with fewer weather aborts than in the past.
Historically, inclement weather has prohibited approximately 600 Life Flight patient flights a year, nearly 20 percent of all patient flight requests. Many of these missed flights were due to cloud ceilings and visibility that, based on FAA requirements for Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operations, prohibited safe flight. Because IFR flight uses advanced GPS routing, ground-based navigation aids and Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar guidance, en route cloud heights and visibility are not limiting factors.
Improved Safety on Every Flight
According to Life Flight Chief Pilot Damon Sanger, being IFR capable, trained and equipped improves safety during every flight. “It gives our crews options when un-forecast weather is encountered. It allows us to make weather decisions for flight requests with greater certainty, which means we can deliver more dependable service to our partners in the community and patients in need of air transport,” says Sanger.” And being in radar contact and in constant communication with Air Traffic Control further enhances flight safety, which is one of the reasons airline flights in the United States are conducted using IFR.”
IFR Equipment and Training
The Life Flight includes six IFR-certified Airbus EC-145 helicopters, equipped with some of the finest avionics available. Pilots at Life Flight undergo a rigorous training program to be certified for IFR service. The didactic and practical portions of the IFR training curriculum take approximately one month to complete and involve meeting the most challenging standards in aviation.
IFR Capabilities and ProceduresUsing IFR capability, Life Flight crews can launch from select Life Flight bases and conduct Instrument Approach Procedures (IAP) to most airports in Southeast Texas.
Life Flight now utilizes 20 FAA-certified Helicopter Special Instrument Procedures (SIPs) to and from hospitals and heliports in the Greater Houston area, including Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, Crosby Fire Station #1 and the central EMS station in West Columbia.
Life Flight is the only helicopter air ambulance program in the Houston area with helicopter SIPs capability.*
Worldwide Call Sign: Red Duke
In honor of the founder and first medical director of Life Flight, Dr. James “Red” Duke, Life Flight applied for and was assigned the national call sign “Red Duke” for use in all of Life Flight’s communications with Air Traffic Control while on IFR flights.
A Tradition of Innovation
With this new capability, Life Flight continues in its tradition of being innovators in the Helicopter EMS industry. “While IFR is not possible in all cases, it is a significant factor that contributes to safer operation and will expand our scope of practice as a community service. We will be more available, more dependable and serve the community with greater safety due to IFR,” says Sanger.
*As of December 2018.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:17:29 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/memorial-hermann-life-flight-now-offers-ifr-service/Memorial Hermann Life Flight® working with novel mobile app to reduce distracted driving motor vehicle collisions in Greater Houston Areahttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/memorial-hermann-life-flight--working-with-novel-mobile-app-to-reduce-distracted-driving-motor-vehicle-collisions-in-greater-houston-area/
Memorial Hermann Life
Flight® is working with the SAFE 2 SAVE
mobile app to reward drivers who put their mobile devices down and keep their
eyes on the road. The sponsorship is part of Memorial Hermann Health System’s
ongoing educational and targeted prevention efforts to drive change in behaviors
and reverse the startling rise in distracted driving motor vehicle collisions
in the Greater Houston Area.Deaths related to distracted driving motor vehicle collisions
rose 62 percent in Harris County from 2016 to 2017, according to the Texas Department
of Transportation. In 2017, more than 19 percent of motor vehicle
collisions in Texas involved distracted driving, resulting in 444 deaths and
more than 2,800 serious injuries, according to TxDOT. The Houston
Chronicle recently labeled the Greater Houston Area’s driving conditions as
the country’s most distracted and deadliest, based on its analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
data. Many distracted driving motor vehicle collisions are
preventable.“Part of our role
as trusted providers of high-quality trauma care for our community is to
educate and empower people across the region to change behaviors that cause
preventable traumas,” said Tom Flanagan, Vice President of Trauma Service Line and
System Integration at Memorial Hermann. “We are tapping into the technology
that has become such a large part of people’s lives and coincidentally, a major
part of distracted driving.”Memorial
Hermann will serve as the presenting sponsor of SAFE 2 SAVE in the Houston
market. SAFE 2 SAVE rewards drivers for not using mobile devices while driving.
For every minute a driver does not touch their mobile device while driving,
they receive points that can be redeemed at select Houston area businesses such
as Chick-fil-A®, Papa John’s Pizza®, Dave & Buster’s® and Rooftop Cinema
Club®.“We are
thrilled to partner with Memorial Hermann Life Flight® on bringing SAFE 2 SAVE
to the Houston market,” said Marci Cory, Owner & Founder of SAFE 2 SAVE.
“With this partnership we hope to reach every Houstonian and serve as a driving
force in reversing the rising trend of distracted driving impacting the
Houston, Harris County and surrounding areas.” On average, one-third
of the patients who come to Red
Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, one of the
busiest Level I trauma centers in the country, are involved in motor vehicle,
auto-pedestrian or bicycle collisions. Red Duke Trauma Institute has engaged students
and adults in the Houston community through distracted driving prevention
education programs for nearly a decade, including: Live
Your DREAMS - A safety program tailored for high-school students that
uses education and engagement of safe driving behaviors to reduce impaired
and distracted driving. Impaired
Driving Simulators - In partnership with the Houston Fire Department, Memorial
Hermann offers simulators that are used to give users a firsthand, virtual
reality experience of impaired driving.Driving Change
Pledge - An oath all Houstonians are encouraged to take to reduce distractions
while driving.“We see
so many patients involved in motor vehicle collisions that are often caused by
some distraction or impairment,” said Michelle McNutt, MD, Chief of Trauma at
the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-TMC and McGovern Medical
School at UTHealth. “If we can change the behaviors of Houstonians, we can help
reduce the number of friends and families who experience the devastating toll
these preventable collisions take on the community.”Learn more about the distracted driving
initiatives at Memorial Hermann.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 04 Dec 2018 09:46:14 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/memorial-hermann-life-flight--working-with-novel-mobile-app-to-reduce-distracted-driving-motor-vehicle-collisions-in-greater-houston-area/Proven Success Memorial Hermann Transfer Centerhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/proven-success-memorial-hermann-transfer-center/
Proven Success: Memorial Hermann Transfer CenterCheryl Fleming doesn’t mince words. Not surprising, given the nature of her work. Fleming is the Director of the Memorial Hermann Transfer Center, the system body that coordinates all patient transfers to and within the Memorial Hermann Health System. Each month, her team handles an average of 3,200 calls from physicians, emergency centers and hospitals. Eighty percent of those patients will be transferred to a Memorial Hermann facility.
Challenge: Build a System-wide Transfer Center
While Fleming has worked for Memorial Hermann in various capacities since 1984, it was in 2011 that she was given her greatest challenge: create a system-wide transfer center for Memorial Hermann which at the time had 10 acute care facilities.
“At the time, Memorial Hermann’s transfer center was housed on the TMC campus and only facilitated transfers for Memorial Hermann-TMC and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. All the other hospitals in the community, everybody did their own thing. My charge was to transition everyone to a system transfer center with one team facilitating all external requests as well as transfers across all Memorial Hermann facilities,” says Fleming.
A Systematic Approach
Over the next two years, Fleming worked systematically to bring all 10 Memorial Hermann campuses on board. “For six weeks, I met weekly with each hospital’s leadership team - their chief medical officer, director of case management, business office director, OA (operations administrator) lead – all the major stakeholders in the transfer process. This gave me an opportunity to understand their cultures as we worked to develop a process that would mirror the current process of the Memorial Hermann-TMC campus as closely as possible, understanding that each community had a slightly different setup.”
The Golden Half Hour
Fleming says the new process had to ensure that everyone operated within the guidelines of state and federal regulations regarding transfers. “The regulations are clear. If you have capability and capacity to care for a patient, your response to a transfer request should be ‘yes.’ And you have 30 minutes to decide, starting with the initial ‘Thank you for calling Memorial Hermann, this is Cheryl Fleming. How can I help you?’ and ending with ‘Patient XXX has been accepted to Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center.’ The time clock ends when I tell that physician or his designee ‘You've been approved to transfer your patient.’"
Overcoming Skepticism
Fleming says those initial meetings helped her build trust, which helped her – and eventually her team - overcome some initial skepticism that a central, system transfer center would be objective and efficient. “One of the things that I really wanted to establish out of the gate was trust. With the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center being a Level I trauma center, the perception of many leaders - and this was from a blind survey that was conducted prior to my taking the job, the results of which were shared with me – was that no one could come in and be Switzerland.”
But the proof has been in the results. Over the past five years, calls to the Transfer Center have increased from 1,800 to over 3,000 a month, a 67 percent increase in volume Of course, what matters most is that patients are getting where they need to be, faster.
Keys to Success: People, Process and TechnologyFleming credits the Transfer Center’s success to the fact that she has an all-clinical staff, a factor she says makes a “huge difference.” Ninety percent are registered ICU- and ED-trained nurses, and the other 10 percent are paramedics. “If someone calls in and says a patient has a gastrointestinal bleed, the nurse will ask, ‘Is it upper or lower? What's the hemoglobin and what's the hematocrit?’ They know what to ask to make the best decisions, fast.”
Second, for neurology, including stroke, and pediatric patients, Memorial Hermann employs a regional process through which designated Memorial Hermann affiliated physicians take calls for multiple facilities. In stroke and neurosurgery, they take calls for Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, Memorial Hermann-TMC and Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center. For pediatric, they take calls for Memorial Hermann-TMC and Memorial Hermann Memorial City. “You’ve got a physician quarterback who fields all transfer requests for those two or three facilities. Based on the clinical picture that is presented by the sending physician, they determine which campus is best suited to care for that patient,” says Fleming.
Fleming also credits the Transfer Center’s success to its new VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone system and management software, which routes calls more efficiently and enables her to monitor and measure her team’s performance. “I'm able to monitor the average time to facilitate a call, number of calls per staff member, call volumes based on time of day and day of the week, and our call abandonment rate. It helps me make better business decisions,” she says. Business decisions that have led to better transfer performance, the impetus for creating a new central transfer function in the first place.
“We make it happen.”
When asked to describe the Memorial Hermann Transfer Center in a nutshell, again Fleming doesn’t mince words. “If you're at another hospital or in an ER in town and you want to go to Memorial Hermann, you call my team and we make it happen.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 10:40:48 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/proven-success-memorial-hermann-transfer-center/Making the Grade Trauma Surveys Validate Memorial Hermann Mettlehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/making-the-grade-trauma-surveys-validate-memorial-hermann-mettle/
Making the Grade: Trauma Surveys Validate Memorial Hermann’s Mettle
It’s one thing to think you’re the best. It’s another to be told that by an objective, credible third party. While Memorial Hermann has a reputation for providing world-class trauma care, the hospital puts itself through the rigors of multiple outside verification and accreditation processes to validate the quality of its programs and care, and to seek ways to continuously improve.
Here, we dissect three of these verifications – for burn care, Level 1 trauma care and medical transport.
Burn CareThe American Burn Association (ABA), in conjunction with the American College of Surgeons (ACS), offers a program to verify that a burn center is meeting the highest current standards of care for the burn-injured patient. According to the ABA website, “Burn Center verification provides a true mark of distinction for a burn center and is an indicator to government, third-party payers, patients and their families, and accreditation organizations that the center provides high-quality patient care to burn patients from time of injury through rehabilitation.”
Verification review is conducted every three years. Stephanice Stephen, RN, BSN, clinical manager of the John S. Dunn Burn Center at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, describes the process. “The verification review committee looks at our performance in the areas of quality of patient care, performance improvement (PI), education and outreach, research, advocacy and prevention. Six months ago, we completed our third survey. Each time we were successful, meeting all the criteria, with no deficiencies.”
The process begins when the Burn Center submits a formal request to be verified and receives a questionnaire with over 200 questions about the hospital, staff qualifications, number of patients admitted, number of mortalities and number of transfers. Upon the Burn Center’s completion of the questionnaire, a date is set for a site visit. Two site surveyors review the Burn Center’s questionnaire and formulate questions prior to their visit.
On the first day of the site visit, the Burn Center hosts a dinner for the surveyors, which includes about 20 representatives of the hospital, including Stephen, burn specialists, the Center’s heads of education, case management, rehabilitation, physical therapy and nursing, and the head of the hospital. “They [verification committee] want to know that we have a truly multidisciplinary program and that we have the full support of the hospital, from the very top,” says Stephen.
The next day, the survey team performs a site review, meeting with additional Burn Center team members, such as representatives from central supply and the lab, and supporting physicians from trauma, anesthesiology and the OR. “They’re looking for the cohesiveness of our patient care,” she says.
In an exit interview later that day, the survey team points out strengths and weaknesses of the program. “We don’t want any deficiencies,” says Stephen, “but there’s always room for improvement.” Over the next thirty days, the surveyors make a recommendation to the Verification Review Board and, if the Burn Center is successful, the Board issues the verification.
Stephen says the process is arduous but worth it. “It validates what we do every day, validates our commitment to the community. And it helps us provide the optimal level of care to our patients.”
Level I TraumaEvery three years, Memorial Hermann undergoes review of its Level I trauma program by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The ACS Verification, Review and Consultation (VRC) Program validates the resources for trauma care at trauma centers. It is administered by the Consultation/Verification Ad Hoc Committee of the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT), commonly referred to as the Verification Review Committee.
Memorial Hermann’s participation in the survey is spearheaded by Sheila Lopez, RN, BSN, MA, Director of Trauma Services for Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and is Director of Quality and Regulatory for the Memorial Hermann Trauma service line.
“I see my role ­– in this effort and in my day-to-day job – as a conductor,” says Lopez, who has been with the Trauma service line since 2007 and with the Memorial Hermann Health System for 25 years. “We have a great facility and a great trauma team, starting with EMS. We are very blessed.”
Like the burn survey process, the Level I trauma process begins with an in-depth written application containing questions pertaining to the entire hospital - EMS, emergency, radiology, respiratory, PACU (post-anesthesia care unit), ICU (intensive care unit) – any department the patient touches. This is followed by a site visit from an ACS survey team comprised of two surgeons, an ER physician, a pediatrician and a nurse.
On the first day, the survey team tours the hospital, conducts an in-depth review of about 50 patient charts and reviews the hospital’s Performance Improvement Program, looking for quality of care issues. Later - there is a working dinner during which the survey team reviews the application - to confirm its contents - and conducts a Q&A with the representatives from across the Memorial Hermann trauma spectrum - as well as hospital administration, to make sure everyone fully supports the trauma endeavor.
On the second day, there’s a hospital walk-through that starts with ground EMS and Life Flight® and follows the flow of patient care through the ER, radiology, OR, ICU and the patient floor. The team looks at the qualifications of the physicians, nurses and other care providers; they look at the hospital’s injury prevention and outreach programs; and they look at research.
Once the site visit is complete, the ACS team huddles and writes their report and presents it to the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT), who reviews and ultimately ratifies it. The results, along with observed strengths and weaknesses, are communicated to the Trauma Center. The Memorial Hermann Trauma Center was last verified in November of 2017, with no deficiencies, and has a long history of stellar results.
Medical Transport
An area in which Memorial Hermann stands head and shoulders above the rest is critical care medical transport. The only hospital-based air ambulance serving Houston and surrounding communities, Memorial Hermann Life Flight performs about 3,400 missions a year, making the John S. Dunn Helistop one of the business helipads in the world.
Life Flight is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS). Life Flight Chief Pilot Damon Sanger and Life Flight Chief Flight Nurse and Education Manager Rodolfo “Rudy” Cabrera, RN, MSN, co-coordinate Life Flight’s participation, as the accreditation encompasses both transport safety and patient care.
CAMTS Accreditation Standards address issues of management and staffing, quality management, patient care and communications and include standards for rotorwing, fixed wing, surface operations, special operations and medical escort services. Life Flight participates in the rotorwing and fixed wing surveys. Accreditation occurs every three years. As with the burn and Level I trauma certifications, CAMTS accreditation includes a written survey and site visit. Life Flight earned its most recent accreditation in April 2018.
From the aviation side, Sanger describes the survey as “an independent look by people in the industry – people who know the job.” He says it’s a different survey each time, which “keeps you sharp and makes you better.” He says while the accreditation cycle is every three years, Life Flight is always preparing. “Our overriding goal is to provide safe and efficient patient transportation. And to that end, we are continuously reviewing and evaluating our performance,” he says.
Sanger attributes Life Flight’s success, in large part, to its very robust training program. “We’re a very complex program with advanced capabilities, which requires a longer training program. Our pilots, on average, spend five to six weeks training. They train until they are completely ready for the job.”
From the patient care standpoint, Cabrera says, “They look at our staff qualifications and our specialty-care protocols - for transporting pregnant and heart attack patients, for instance. They look for skills in areas in which we might have a high incidence of failure due to a low frequency of use, given we’re not operating in a normal hospital setting. They look at equipment. Are our uniforms fire retardant? And communications. Are we hosting regular shift briefing and staff meetings?”
Cabrera, who has been with Life Flight through four surveys, says this one was the best. “Earning your CAMTS certification means you have been evaluated and found to uphold the highest standards of patient safety and care. This one was the best yet. We were extremely prepared.”
Sanger agrees. “It was a very successful visit for us. They gave us high praise for our program, on both the medical and aviation sides.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 10:31:29 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/making-the-grade-trauma-surveys-validate-memorial-hermann-mettle/Ortho Trauma Symposium Wows Sellout EMS Crowdhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/ortho-trauma-symposium-wows-sellout-ems-crowd/
“I liked hearing from the docs. They’re on the cutting edge for trauma,” says Washington County EMS paramedic Mark Rosenbaum, reflecting on his participation in the recent Memorial Hermann Ortho Trauma Symposium, held July 28, 2018, at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Rosenbaum and two fellow Washington County EMS paramedics were among the 160 first responders, emergency personnel and nurses attending the event, which brought together fellowship-trained orthopedic traumatologists to highlight best practices in treating the polytraumatized patient.
Highly InteractiveNow in its third year, the symposium differs from similar events in that it is highly interactive. Affiliated Orthopedic surgeon Timothy Achor, MD, who was instrumental in developing the curriculum, says attendee engagement is a top consideration when designing the event. “We retain less information if we’re being lectured to,” he says. “So, we design the agenda to be alive, interactive and not scripted. The only slides we show are visual, with images such as X-rays and scenes.”
Multiple Perspectives
Rosenbaum says one of the things he appreciated most was hearing about cases from multiple perspectives – from the viewpoints of the patient, the EMS, the ER and the trauma surgeon. Two cases were presented in the morning, one about a star high school soccer player who sustained a fractured tibia after being tackled by an opponent, and another about a gentleman who suffered a hip/pelvis trauma in a bicycle accident.
In each case, the patient shared his or her story, the first responder described the scene, the attending ER physician shared the ER perspective, the trauma surgeon described the surgical procedure, and then everyone participated in a Q&A session about the case. Many of the attendees, particularly those who serve larger metropolitan areas like Houston, say they don’t often get to follow a case beyond delivery of the patient to the ER, so they enjoyed walking through the cases from start to finish.
Hot Topics
Affiliated Orthopedic trauma specialist Milton “Chip” Routt, MD, says each year’s agenda includes sessions that are topical, current and relevant. This year’s symposium featured an active shooter case that included the patient, law enforcement officer, ER and surgical perspectives.
The morning sports injury case included a session on concussion considerations featuring neurosurgeon Arthur “Art” Day, MD, and James “Jamie” McCarthy, MD, Memorial Hermann Health System Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Executive, formerly Chief of Emergency Medical Services at Memorial Hermann-TMC. This topic was of heightened interest to Rosenbaum, who says numerous soccer and baseball tournaments take place in his service area (between Brenham and Austin).
A session was devoted to emergency response surrounding Hurricane Harvey, during which symposium attendees heard firsthand stories from first responders and medical personnel.
Life Flight® Tours and Educational Stations
After lunch, participants headed up to the roof for Life Flight tours and participated in different education stations, on topics ranging from the latest in applying tourniquets and pelvic binders to spine extrication maneuvers and pediatric field considerations. And they were given the opportunity to “experience” driving under the influence through a drunk driving simulator.
“I always walk away with something new.”
For their participation in the day-long event, participants earned CEUs, but more important, it gave them the opportunity to learn something new that they can apply immediately to their jobs. “EMS and medical treatment are constantly evolving. That’s why continuing ed is so important,” says Rosenbaum. “Even though our department is pretty innovative, I always walk away with something new.”
The Opportunity to Say Thanks
The symposium offers a rare interaction between responders and trauma surgeons. Drs. Achor and Routt say they are extremely grateful for the prehospital care provided by the EMS community. The symposium, they say, gives them the opportunity to say thanks. “The symposium is about letting them know that we value our relationships with them and we want them to value their relationships with us, so that there's a functional symbiosis. We all prioritize patient care. We’re all working for the common goal. And we are all trying to get better at it,” says Dr. Routt.
Save the Date: July 27, 2019
Plans are already underway for the 2019 Ortho Trauma Symposium, to be held July 27, 2019, on the Memorial Hermann-TMC campus. Rosenbaum says his department plans to send three different members next year, so they can experience the event firsthand. Dr. Achor says the curriculum changes from year to year, to keep it fresh for repeat attendees and to align with the hot topics and issues of the day.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 10:14:04 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/ortho-trauma-symposium-wows-sellout-ems-crowd/Flawless Teamwork Saves 3-Year-Old Trauma Patients Lifehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/flawless-teamwork-saves-3-year-old-trauma-patients-life/
It is every parent’s worst nightmare. You’re going about your day. Everything seems normal. Then suddenly, without warning, your child is in grave danger.
What began as a typical weekday evening for the Guice family of Atascocita, Texas, almost became one of unimaginable loss when 3-year-old Grayson “Gray” slipped in the bathroom onto a ceramic trash can and was impaled by a broken shard. An injury of this magnitude could easily have cost the boy his life. Fortunately, everyone who responded – Gray’s parents, the 9-1-1 operator, the Houston Fire Department’s engine and medic crews, the Memorial Hermann Life Flight® crew and the skilled Memorial Hermann Trauma team – worked together seamlessly to save the boy’s life.
“A giant shark’s tooth”
As was their regular evening routine, Gray and his twin brother were taking a bath. Their mom, Liz, had just bathed their 1-year-old sister and was getting her dressed for bed. Their dad, Tyler, describes what happened next. “I was just outside the bathroom, gathering the twins’ towels and pajamas, when I heard Gray scream. I ran into the bathroom to find him standing in the middle of the bathroom floor. Blood was streaming out of what looked like a bullet hole in his back. The shard, which looked like a giant shark’s tooth, had punctured his back and was lying on the floor, covered in blood. Liz ran to call 9-1-1. I wrapped him in a towel and took him to the sofa. He was moaning and crying, and after about three minutes began saying, ‘I want to go night night.’ A minute later, he passed out. A nurse who lives across the street came over and told us to keep pressure on the wound and try to keep him awake. But he was crashing, losing so much blood. My shirt was soaked through.”
Ground Crew Calls for Life Flight®The 9-1-1 operator categorized the incident as a fall, and an engine crew from nearby Houston Fire Department Station 105, led by Captain D.J. Yarbrough, was dispatched. Because it was a basic (versus a medic) call, the station’s medic crew, M105, initially stayed behind.
“When they arrived,” says Tyler, “one of them began assessing Gray’s condition and asked me to lift him up so he could see the wound. He said, ‘Oh, wow,’ and alerted the captain to call in Life Flight® and the station’s medics.”
Fortunately, a Life Flight crew was already in the air, headed to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center on another mission. They were diverted to the scene. Flight paramedic Brandon Crackel vividly recalls the string of actions that took place that day. “We had just started our shift and were a quarter mile from the medical center, headed there to pick up a perfusionist en route to a call in Lufkin. The pilot received a call for a pediatric trauma case. He acknowledged, and we converted. As we approached, we could see the HFD ambulance in the neighborhood. Things were happening so fast we didn’t even have a landing zone set up. We landed in an intersection two blocks from the boy’s house.”
As Life Flight was flying over the subdivision, M105 paramedic-in-charge Stacey Lejarza and paramedic Graciela “Gracie” Olivares arrived and began stabilizing Gray. “He was still responsive, but we could tell he was compensating. His heart rate was going up and he was ashen. He was losing a lot of blood and was going into shock,” says Olivares, who credits the captain for being instrumental in saving the boy’s life. “Captain Yarbrough made a decision that day that I believe saved the boy’s life. He called for Life Flight. Had he chosen to transport the patient via ground ambulance, I am certain the outcome would have been very different.”
“This kid’s in trouble.”
“When we landed at the scene,” says Crackel, “we didn’t have any information about the boy’s injury. But when I saw him, I immediately knew, this kid’s in trouble. His breathing was shallow and slow. His heart rate was good, but I couldn’t get a pulse. As soon as we were in the air, I started an IV, thankfully on the first try. He started spiking blood, so we pushed multiple meds, intubated him [inserted a breathing tube] and gave him blood. His color and heart rate improved, but I never got a pulse. We knew we had to get him to Memorial Hermann before he went into cardiac arrest. We made it there in six minutes. If we had not already been in the air, or if we had not had blood products on the aircraft, he probably wouldn’t have made it.”
Emergency Surgery at Memorial Hermann
The minute the Life Flight team delivered Gray to the ED he had an ultrasound performed and received further blood transfusion by pediatric emergency medicine faculty member Dr. Hannah Smith. After only 12 minutes in the ED, the patient was rushed into a Memorial Hermann operating room, where affiliated trauma surgeon Ethan Taub, DO, began to stabilize him and prepare him for surgery. Shortly thereafter, he was joined by affiliated pediatric surgeon KuoJen Tsao, MD, the Children’s Fund, Inc. Distinguished Professor in Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Together, the two surgeons performed emergency surgery.
“An ultrasound showed a lot of fluid in the boy’s abdomen, which we assumed was blood,” says Dr. Tsao. “The piece of pottery, shaped almost like a knife, had penetrated his back, severing his artery and vein that went to his right kidney. We looked at the kidney to see if we could repair it, but it was basically severed. He was bleeding out from it. So, we removed it.”
World-class Level I Trauma Center
Dr. Tsao says the Memorial Hermann trauma “system” was instrumental in saving the boy’s life. “We’re set up to quickly triage and treat multiple trauma patients simultaneously. The speed with which we can stabilize and treat a patient, coupled with Life Flight’s ability to administer blood before a patient arrives at the hospital, likely made the difference in this case. After only six days in the hospital, the patient was released to go home, quickly recovered and is doing well.”
Dr. Taub concurs, adding, “We have the best trauma system and one of the biggest Level I trauma programs in the country. We treat over 8,000 trauma patients every year. In Gray’s case, everyone – the ground crew, the Life Flight crew who administered prehospital blood, and the ER and OR nurses and staff – worked together efficiently and effectively to save this boy’s life.”
“The best hospital on planet Earth.”
Liz and Tyler believe both medical and divine intervention saved their son’s life. “We see God in this story,” says Liz. “It seemed unreal, like a made-up story. But we knew Gray was in the best hospital on planet Earth. A lot of people worked hard. The EMS, Life Flight, the doctors, nurses and Child Life specialists. They all showed tremendous compassion. They are all geniuses. Everyone played their role, everything fell into place. We believe Jesus used modern medicine and these amazing people to save Gray’s life.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 02:59:25 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/flawless-teamwork-saves-3-year-old-trauma-patients-life/Driving Changehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/driving-change/
The 'p' start tag on line 90 position 2 does not match the end tag of 'div'. Line 91, position 3.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 02:48:45 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/driving-change/Dr Henry Pham Every Minute Countshttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/dr-henry-pham-every-minute-counts/
Dr. Henry Pham: Every Minute CountsAt a large family reunion in Cancún, Mexico, gastroenterologist L. Henry Pham, MD, was standing in a sheltered area of the Gulf of Mexico when a wave toppled him over, causing hyperextension of his neck resulting in disc herniation and cervical spinal cord contusion at C5, C6 and C7. The injury caused immediate tetraplegia. His wife, Phyllis, saw him floating face down, motionless, and alerted a lifeguard who pulled him out.
“I was conscious throughout and knew something bad had happened to my spinal cord,” says Dr. Pham. “I asked a family friend to protect my head and neck. My son, Andrew, was there, looking down at me on the stretcher while the EMTs carried me a quarter of a mile to the ambulance.”
A local neurosurgeon performed decompression surgery, two discectomies and an internal fusion in one of the small hospital’s four ORs. “He did a great job with perfect alignment. I regard him as a world-class neurosurgeon,” Dr. Pham says.
After two days in the Cancún hospital’s intensive care unit, he was transferred to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, 800 miles away, in a fixed-wing plane owned and operated by Memorial Hermann Life Flight®. In Houston, he was admitted to the Mischer Neuroscience Institute at Memorial Hermann-TMC and cared for by the neurocritical care and neurosurgery teams.
“First came the shock,” recalls Dr. Pham. “Before the accident I was a very active person living a fast-paced life. I did CrossFit and cycled 100 miles on the weekend. On the morning of the injury I went to a yoga class with my wife, worked out in the gym, and ran 10 kilometers. Little did I know that a small wave would turn into a tsunami for me. I went from wearing a doctor’s white coat to a hospital gown and a wristband, from taking care of patients to being completely helpless. I think of myself as a positive person but no matter how strong I tried to be on the outside, I was depressed on the inside.”
After thorough evaluation during three days in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit (“ICU”) at Mischer Neuroscience Institute, he was transferred to the hospital’s Neuroscience Acute Care Unit. Upon discharge, he was admitted to TIRR Memorial Hermann, where he spent the next seven weeks in rehabilitation. Transferred in with complete paralysis, he progressed from being pushed in a wheelchair, to locomotor training to regain walking skills through lower-extremity weight bearing, to using a walker, to walking on his own. “I was fortunate to make very good progress,” he says.
He returned to his practice at Central Texas Gastroenterology Consultants last fall and is gradually working his way back to seeing patients in the hospital.
“Family was very important as I went through my ICU stay,” says Dr. Pham, who lives in College Station, Texas, with his wife and three children. “The doctors and nurses provided wonderful care, but my family was the pillar of my ICU stay.”
In June 2017, he took his family to Vietnam on vacation. When he put his hand in the pocket of his swim trunks, he found sand from the beach at Cancún. “I felt like life had somehow brought me full circle to remind me to pay attention to the little things,” he says.
“I’ve taken care of sick patients over the years and gained perspective, but none of it was anything like facing my own mortality. I look at everything around me with gratefulness,” he says. “I try to live more in the moment and not so much in the future.”
Neurocritical care specialist Tiffany Chang, MD, invited Dr. Pham to speak at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute’s Sixth Annual Neuro ICU Symposium last April at the Westin Oaks Houston in the Galleria. He gave an eloquent and moving talk about his experience.
“He reminded us about how impactful every encounter with a physician or nurse is regardless of how big or small,” says Dr. Chang, an assistant professor with dual appointments in the department of Neurology and Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “As physicians we should keep in mind that every moment with the patient counts. Dr. Pham shared a story of hope. At the time of the injury, his physicians were concerned that he would never walk again. He received the highest quality of care available from three medical teams working together – neurosurgery in Mexico, neurocritical care and neurosurgery in Houston, and the rehabilitation team at TIRR Memorial Hermann. His willingness to speak at the symposium is testimony to his kindness and generosity. It must have been hard for him, but as a physician he is always working to improve the lives of his patients, whether through direct care or by sharing his ICU experience with other physicians to help us become even more patient-centered.”
These days, Dr. Pham is spending more time with family and friends. “The greatest demonstration of compassion is when we see the world through another’s eyes and treat that person with respect and dignity,” he said at the Neuro ICU Symposium. “Realize that everything can be taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Make every minute count because life can end unexpectedly.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 08:23:52 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/dr-henry-pham-every-minute-counts/Opioid Crisis and What Memorial Hermann is Doing About Ithttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/opioid-crisis-and-what-memorial-hermann-is-doing-about-it/
The Opioid Crisis and What Memorial Hermann is Doing About ItEvery day, more than 115 people in the U.S. die from opioid overdose.1 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse in the U.S. is nearly $80 billion a year, including the costs of health care, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice involvement.2Opioid Abuse by the Numbers
The details of this public health crisis are disillusioning:
Roughly 21 percent to 29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them.3Between 8 percent and 12 percent develop an opioid use disorder.4-6An estimated 4 percent to 6 percent who misuse prescription opioids transition to heroin.4-6About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids.4Safely Managing Trauma Pain
Victims of traumatic injury are at greater than average risk for opioid misuse and related complications. Every year, the Memorial Hermann Health System sees over 10,000 trauma cases, including over 6,000 at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Most often, these patients are victims of motor vehicle or motorcycle accidents, falls, assaults or burns, all of which involve severe pain.
While opioids, such as oxycodone and morphine, are effective at treating acute pain, they pose serious risks and cause myriad side effects. So, how can physicians effectively treat trauma patients’ pain without subjecting them to these risks and side effects?
Multimodal Pain Regimen
Memorial Hermann is at the forefront of a growing number of healthcare systems across the country that are managing trauma patients’ pain without – or with minimal use of – opioids.
Memorial Hermann affiliated orthopedic surgeon William Harvin, MD, explains, “We have had great success in managing our patients’ pain by employing a multimodal pain regimen that includes the use of multiple non-narcotic classes of drugs, less invasive surgical techniques and nerve blocks that provide targeted, versus systemic, pain relief. The level of pain that some of these trauma patients experience, however, still requires the use of narcotic pain medication. But we use it early on and very sparingly, then shift to one or more of the other drugs as quickly as possible.”
Brad Domonoske, PharmD, BCPS, a clinical pharmacist specializing in surgery, trauma and burn critical care at Memorial Hermann-TMC, adds, “Even though narcotics can have negative side effects, they provide great analgesia for surgical pain. But after we get the patient through the OR, it's the long-term pain from the multiple fractures, surgeries and injuries that pose the challenges.”
Domonoske continues, “If you use narcotics as your sole basis of analgesia, the narcotics have lots of adverse side effects. They impair your immune system. They alter your ability to sleep, which can lead to increasing delirium, which has long-term adverse consequences. They also cause side effects, such as constipation and tolerance. And all of this has a huge impact on both the patient’s hospital length of stay as well as their mental and physical health after they go home.”
Pharmaceutical Solutions
Domonoske says Memorial Hermann affiliated physicians prescribe pain medications from four different classes of pain medication, each affecting different pain receptors in the brain. These drugs are used either in lieu of narcotics or as an adjunct to narcotics to dramatically reduce the number of narcotics prescribed:
Non-steroidals (ibuprofen, naproxen, celecoxib) – The most commonly prescribed class of pain relievers, non-steroidals work right at the point of injury to decrease inflammation. “It’s that inflammation that causes a lot of your nerve endings to send signals that you’re having pain,” says Domonoske. “These drugs help to relief inflammation. They work at the site of injury, but they also work inside the brain to help modulate your perception of pain. Unlike narcotics, they won’t change your mental capacity or inhibit sleep.”Acetaminophen (Tylenol) – These analgesics provide the feeling of pain relief but, unlike narcotics, do not alter a patient’s cognitive ability, negatively affect their GI tract (long-term), affect sleep or become addictive.Gabapentinoids, including gabapentin (Neurontin) and pregabalin (Lyrica) – This class of drug targets the nerves that transmit pain signals, affecting the transmission of pain signals, decreasing the perception of pain.Tramadol (Ultram) – These narcotics bind to receptors in the brain (narcotic or opioid receptors) that transmit the sensation of pain from throughout the body to the brain. They can be addictive but are considered less potent than other opioids.
In addition to these medications, lidocaine patches may be used to provide targeted pain relief – without the side effects, including gastrointestinal distress or mental impairment, caused by other medications.
“They play very nicely with each other.”
“We typically give all four of those groups of meds, or at least a representative from all four groups, to a patient. The drugs play very nicely with each other,” says Domonoske. “Then, if the patient has some additional pain, we go to the narcotics. But the great thing is, we can limit the amount of narcotics we have to give, and we can get the patient off narcotics so much faster and still provide pain relief. The patients stay awake so that they can participate in their care, which expedites healing and shortens their hospital stays. Then we send them home on these adjunctive agents, which don't really interfere with their activities of daily living.”
References1 CDC/NCHS,National Vital Statistics System, Mortality. CDC Wonder, Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2017. https://wonder.cdc.gov.
2 Florence CS, Zhou C, Luo F, Xu L. The Economic Burden of Prescription Opioid Overdose, Abuse, and Dependence in the United States, 2013. Med Care. 2016;54(10):901-906. doi:10.1097/MLR.0000000000000625.
3 Vowles KE, McEntee ML, Julnes PS, Frohe T, Ney JP, van der Goes DN. Rates of opioid misuse, abuse, and addiction in chronic pain: a systematic review and data synthesis. Pain. 2015;156(4):569-576. doi:10.1097/01.j.pain.0000460357.01998.f1.
4 Muhuri PK, Gfroerer JC, Davies MC. Associations of Nonmedical Pain Reliever Use and Initiation of Heroin Use in the United States. CBHSQ Data Rev. August 2013.
5 Cicero TJ, Ellis MS, Surratt HL, Kurtz SP. The Changing Face of Heroin Use in the United States: A Retrospective Analysis of the Past 50 Years. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(7):821-826. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.366.
6 Carlson RG, Nahhas RW, Martins SS, Daniulaityte R. Predictors of transition to heroin use among initially non-opioid dependent illicit pharmaceutical opioid users: A natural history study. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2016;160:127-134. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.12.026.
If you or someone you love is battling addiction, Memorial Hermann Prevention & Recovery Center (PaRC) can help. For more information, fill out our contact us form or call (877) 464-7272.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 07:40:29 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/opioid-crisis-and-what-memorial-hermann-is-doing-about-it/SFC Nick Laye Triumph Over Traumahttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/sfc-nick-laye-triumph-over-trauma/
SFC Nick Laye: Triumph Over TraumaUnited States Army Sergeant First Class Nick Laye arrived at the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute with extensive limb-threatening injuries to his right leg. The list of injuries was long: a segmental femur fracture, open tibial plateau fracture, proximal fibula fracture, peroneal nerve injury, significant circumferential loss of flesh and other soft tissue from the lower thigh to mid-leg, and soft-tissue degloving of the ankle that exposed his ankle bone. He had lost one artery supplying his right leg and had a large open wound above the left knee.
Laye, 35, sustained the injuries when the motorcycle he and his fiancée were riding slammed into the side of a Ford F-150 that crossed into his lane, pinning his right leg between the truck and motorcycle.
His fiancée, Megan Cervantes, 31, was thrown 20 feet, landed and rolled, suffering minor scrapes and bruises. A passerby stopped and called 911, while Cervantes limped over to Laye and began alerting his Army chain of command and his family. “She held my head up and kept me alive,” he says.
The accident occurred on Jan. 15, 2018, the day before Laye’s mother’s 60th birthday. “This was my first major surgery ever, and I was terrified,” he says. “In the OR prep room I talked with my doctors and the entire surgical staff. I told them I’d had 17 years in the Army, have a six-year-old daughter that needs her father, and that today was my mother’s birthday. ‘You can’t let me die today,’ I said. Dr. Warner looked at me and said, ‘I get it. You’re scared. You have serious injuries, but you’re not a unique case. This is what we do 365 days a year. Don’t worry – we’ll take good care of you.’”
Laye’s case is an example of the coordinated trauma care available to patients at the Red Duke Trauma Institute: a tightly choreographed effort involving the orthopedic trauma team, plastic surgery team and specialists from other disciplines. “Our goal is always to repair the damage in ways that maximize function for severely injured patients,” says Stephen Warner, MD, PhD, an affiliated orthopedic trauma surgeon and Assistant Professor of Orthopedic surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “Nick is a great success story. Like all of our patients, he didn’t expect to end up in the hospital when he woke up that morning. For us, bringing patients back from life-severe injury is routine. When they know they’re in good hand with our team, it puts them at ease.”
Over the next three weeks Laye had surgery almost every 48 hours – 10 surgeries in total. “Early on we placed an intramedullary nail to repair the segmental right femur fracture and, in coordination with plastic surgery, took him back every couple of days to clean out the open wounds over the right and left knee,” Dr. Warner says. “We were in constant communication with Dr. Emmanuel Melissinos, MD, who heads the plastic surgery team. When we do bony fixation in large open wounds, we carefully coordinate our work to minimize the time between placement of orthopedic implants and soft-tissue coverage by plastic surgery.”
Dr. Melissinos and his team cleaned the wounds gradually with multiple irrigations and debridements. “Our goal is to decrease the risk of infection and get to healthy tissue for subsequent soft-tissue replacement,” says Dr. Melissinos, a clinical professor with joint appointments in the division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and department of Orthopedic Surgery at UTHealth, who specializes in microsurgery, post-trauma reconstruction and reconstructive plastic surgery. “This can’t be done in one sitting, so from day one, the orthopedic trauma, reconstructive plastic surgery and microsurgery teams were involved in decision-making every step of the way.”
When both teams were comfortable with the condition of the soft tissues, Dr. Warner placed fixation for the tibial plateau and proximal fibula. The plastic surgery team created a free flap from the latissimus dorsi muscle and covered the metal implants with skin grafts from mid-thigh to mid-leg.
“Dr. Warner came in every other day to check on me,” Laye says. “When I asked him how long it would be before I could play soccer, he said, ‘We’ve done our part. The rest is up to you.’ That was a good phrase for me to hear. It pointed out to me that there’s a part of the healing process that I have to own as well.”
Initially, the doctors told Laye that he could expect to walk without crutches after eight months and would be fully healed 18 months post surgery. Just four months after his discharge from Memorial Hermann-TMC, he could walk around his apartment and office without crutches.
“Nick’s rapid recovery is testimony to his motivation to achieve maximal benefit from the work our team did for him,” Dr. Warner says. “He approaches life with a positive attitude and was also very fit before the accident. Both of these things can help speed recovery.”
Laye credits his recovery to Drs. Warner and Melissinos and the orthopedic trauma and plastic surgery teams at the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute. “Other doctors have told me that I easily could have faced a mid-thigh amputation. The work these people did to save my leg was amazing,” he says.
“Both doctors were very direct about my treatment plan, how long the surgeries would take and what I might expect in terms of healing,” says Laye, a Houston Recruiting Battalion leader who is responsible for seven soldiers and their families. “Dr. Melissinos was there for every single surgery. When I came out of anesthesia after my last surgery, he was the first person I saw. I smiled so big when I saw him and he looked at me and smiled back. He came over and shook my hand. It was a memorable moment. The next memorable moment was when he looked at my leg during a follow-up visit and told me my leg wasn’t supposed to heal that fast. Those were great words to hear.”
He also credits his home health agency and his physical therapist who has come to his house twice a week since he was discharged from the hospital in mid-February. “She has pushed me to recover day in and day out,” he says. “I told her on day one that I needed to be able to walk by the end of May because my daughter would be coming to visit over the summer. She developed a plan, held me to it and kicked my tail until we achieved that goal.”
“I’m able to walk, bicycle and jog approximately six months ahead of schedule due to my physical therapy and the treatment I received from both Dr. Melissinos and Dr. Warner,” adds Laye, who is now doing physical therapy at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN® Sports Institute. “I expect to be able to run before the end of the summer. I’ve achieved my goal.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 06:52:25 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/sfc-nick-laye-triumph-over-trauma/New Program Handtevyhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/new-program-handtevy/
In Good Hands: New Program Takes Stress Out of Pediatric Medication DosingThe pressure on medical professionals in a busy emergency room is all the more intense when the patient is a child and medications are required immediately. That is why Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital – a Level I trauma center equipped to treat children in the most difficult situations – is a leader in adopting the best processes available.
The hospital has trained its professionals in the use of a new system that eliminates the need for physicians and nurses to complete mathematical calculations on the fly when determining drugs and dosages that should be administered to pediatric patients. The new system, known as the Handtevy Pediatric Resuscitation System, allows practitioners to quickly determine the correct dosages based on a child’s age and estimated weight.
The decision to move to Handtevy was a collaborative team effort, including the support from Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine - Dr. Robert Lapus. “Before the use of Handtevy, some calculations were required that can take away precious time,” said Dr. Lapus. “With it, medications are all pre-calculated and provided in an organized medication book or on an iPhone or iPad.”
When a child is on the way to the hospital or arrives there, entering or looking up an age and estimated weight with Handtevy shows medication doses immediately. The proprietary system also provides practitioners with the best way to administer drugs -- via vein, muscle, bone, nose or mouth.
The system was developed by Peter Antevy, a Florida-based pediatric emergency medicine physician who saw a need to speed up the process of making quick determinations on drug dosages for pediatric patients. For years, Antevy recalled experiencing stress and discomfort while using calculations in high-pressure cases – something he found was a shared problem among other physicians. He decided a better method was possible and began developing the system through a company he founded known as Pediatric Emergency Standards, Inc.
To date, Children’s Memorial Hermann and representatives of the company have held more than a dozen classes for physicians, ER staff, in-patient pediatric nurses and pharmacists at the various Children’s Memorial Hermann pediatric emergency rooms. Additionally, the system’s portability means that it has benefits beyond the ER setting. Paramedics trained in the system now can use it to provide medications on scene or during transport. When they arrive with the patient, the data – complete with name of medication, amount administered and time stamps – is transferred to the treating clinicians. This allows medical staff to immediately review the pre-hospital treatment to ensure everything went properly and decide whether additional medications may be required.
In addition to training its affiliated physicians, Children’s Memorial Hermann worked with the Houston Fire Department to implement the system late last year. “We saw it as an opportunity to provide training to the HFD’s 550 paramedics and improve pediatric clinical outcomes for our community,” said Jason Gander, Emergency Medical Services Liaison for Memorial Hermann Health System. “The feedback from the crews has been extremely positive, and their confidence with treating children has improved.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 10 May 2018 08:09:01 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/new-program-handtevy/Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital Earns Primary Stroke Center Designationhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/memorial-hermann-sugar-land-hospital-earns-primary-stroke-center-designation/
Residents of Fort Bend and surrounding counties now have greater access to lifesaving stroke care. Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers.
As a certified Primary Stroke Center, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital is equipped to rapidly diagnose and treat stroke victims. The experienced neurologists and neurosurgeons affiliated with the hospital partner with local emergency medical services (EMS) to save lives in the diagnosis, evaluation, management and treatment of patients with acute and non-acute neurological disorders.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year more than 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke, the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. In Fort Bend County alone, nearly 25,000 people die of strokes every year.
Memorial Hermann Sugar Land is committed to partnering with EMS to provide Fort Bend and surrounding counties with the highest quality care. “We’re proud to have achieved this distinction,” said Greg Haralson, CEO of Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. “This certification recognizes our commitment to providing outstanding care to our patients and our community. When it comes to stroke, every second counts.”
The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification is based on the recommendations for primary stroke centers published by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association’s statements/guidelines for stroke care. The Joint Commission launched the program—the nation’s first—in 2003. A list of programs certified by the Joint Commission is available at www.jointcommission.org.
For more information on Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, visit http://www.memorialhermann.org/locations/sugar-land/.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 09 May 2018 07:10:13 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/memorial-hermann-sugar-land-hospital-earns-primary-stroke-center-designation/A Lifesaving Revivalhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/a-lifesaving-revival/
A Lifesaving Revival: The Re-emergence of Whole Blood Transfusion
Six blood components are carried on all Life Flight helicopters 24 hours a day: 2 whole blood, 2 packed red blood cells and 2 plasma.
Whole blood transfusions are making a comeback—and that’s great news for those treated for hemorrhagic shock and the people who take care of them.
“Overall, we have seen that whole blood transfusion is safe and has a better clotting ability and profile than component therapy in many instances,” said Bryan Cotton, MD, a professor in the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and trauma surgeon affiliated with Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
Red Duke Trauma Institute and Memorial Hermann Life Flight® are among the first trauma care providers in the country to use whole blood transfusion in addressing severe blood loss in emergency settings.
Changing the course of a bloody history
Whole blood transfusion was all but forgotten in trauma care in favor of component transfusion therapy during the last four decades. However, component therapy, which administers parts of blood, like plasma, platelets and red blood cells, on their own or combined in a specified ratio, was not always the de facto transfusion option. The shift from whole blood transfusion to component therapy for those suffering massive blood loss began in the 1970s, despite a lack of evidence supporting the latter’s superiority in emergency situations.
Recent evidence-based findings and the documented success of whole blood transfusion in military settings have prompted leading trauma care providers like Life Flight and Red Duke Trauma Institute to take another look at the classic lifesaver.
Red Duke Trauma Institute and Life Flight have been using primarily Type O-negative whole blood for transfusions in emergency situations since November 2017 and have not seen adverse patient reactions.
“As patients receive whole blood pre-hospital, they receive less blood upon admission to the hospital or operating room, which means earlier homeostasis,” said Joseph Love, DO, vice-chair for surgical education at McGovern Medical School and medical director for Life Flight.
Research rediscovers a whole solution
Dr. Cotton is the lead author of a study published in 2013 in the Annals of Surgery detailing the world’s first randomized trial of whole blood, and its success in stopping bleeding quicker and reducing the amount of blood required for severely injured patients. The study is part of a growing body of empirical evidence supporting the use of whole blood in emergency settings.
That’s not to say component therapies are no longer needed. Component therapies will continue to have their place, like using packed red blood cells for patients with sickle cell disease, but the use of whole blood has been shown to mitigate some of the risks present with component therapy.
“Most trauma patient deaths following component transfusion can be attributed to one part of the trauma lethal triad: coagulation issues, acidosis or hypothermia,” said Life Flight Chief Flight Nurse Rudy Cabrera. “Whole blood combats all three of those reactions.”
In addition to providing the best patient outcomes, data is collected for each use of whole blood in an effort to advance its use and establish best practices.
“Our goal is to show the importance of whole blood and make it the gold standard for EMS and pre-hospital providers to administer it,” Dr. Love said.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 06:38:40 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/orthopedic-trauma-symposium-registration/Stop the Bleedhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/stop-the-bleed/
Bleeding Control Basic CourseUncontrolled bleeding is the No. 1 cause of preventable death from trauma.
“Stop the Bleed” is a national initiative by The Hartford Consensus supported by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, The Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care and the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.
This national effort aims to train first responders and civilians to:
Recognize life-threatening bleedingAppropriately stop the bleedLearn how to Stop the Bleed and Save a Life.
Join healthcare providers from Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital as they teach you how to stop uncontrollable bleeding.
Contact our Injury Prevention Team for more information at traumaprevention@memorialhermann.org.
Contact UsExtended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 03:54:11 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/stop-the-bleed/Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center Receives Level II Trauma Care Verificationhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/memorial-hermann-the-woodlands-medical-center-receives-level-ii-trauma-care-verification/
Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital Soon to FollowMemorial Hermann Health System continues to expand in scope, with Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center earning Level II trauma verification from the American College of Surgeons in November. The move provides more immediate access to a higher level of trauma care to communities north of Houston while helping to ease the burden on the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Houston’s only Level I trauma center for both adult and pediatric patients.
Meanwhile, Memorial Hermann Southwest is well on its way to achieving Level II trauma center verification, and is now going through the process to receive the distinction.
“Our continued efforts illustrate Memorial Hermann Health System’s robust commitment to develop an integrated, seamless trauma care network across the region,” says Thomas "Tom" Flanagan, RN, BSN, MA, LP, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, and Memorial Hermann Health System’s Vice President of the Trauma Service Line and System Integration.
To earn Level II trauma center verification, hospitals undergo a rigorous review process by teams of physicians, nurses and other healthcare experts with the American College of Surgeons. They carefully review programs and records, and interview practitioners and staff during site visits.
Facilities must show they have 24-hour medical team availability that consists of specially trained healthcare providers who have expertise in the care of severely injured patients. Among the many requirements are intensive trauma education for staff, availability of subspecialty services like orthopedics, neurosurgery and cardiovascular care as well as trauma-certified emergency center physicians and rapid access to surgical care.
To upgrade its trauma care capabilities, the team at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center expanded to include 10 additional affiliated physicians and approximately 50 clinical staff. The hospital also upgraded its infrastructure with additional surgical and ICU beds, a second Life Flight® helipad, and 3,400 square feet of space that includes seven treatment rooms and three state-of-the-art trauma rooms in the hospital’s emergency center.
In their pursuit of Level II trauma designation, Memorial Hermann Southwest is building out two intensive care units and an operating room suite dedicated to the treatment of advanced neurosurgery and trauma patients. The hospital will be adding highly specialized affiliated physicians in neurosurgery and orthopedics as well as approximately 50 employees to support the trauma program.
Flanagan noted that both Memorial Hermann The Woodlands and Memorial Hermann Southwest are able to quickly transfer trauma patients to the Red Duke Trauma Institute or Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center should the patient need the highest level of trauma care. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is also home to John S. Dunn Burn Center, Houston’s only verified burn center.
Memorial Hermann also operates Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital as Level III trauma centers. Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital and Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital are Level IV trauma centers.
TIRR Memorial Herman, the top-ranked rehabilitative care hospital in Texas and a national leader in rehabilitative care and research, works with all of the hospitals to provide rehabilitative care.
“The key factor in our medical approach is that, as a system, we can immediately respond to any situation throughout the region,” Flanagan added. “That is illustrated every day by the passionate work of our clinicians and support staff as we relentlessly pursue the very highest level of care for our patients.”
Learn more about trauma care services at Memorial Hermann here.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 10:23:35 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/memorial-hermann-the-woodlands-medical-center-receives-level-ii-trauma-care-verification/Injury Prevention Cornerhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/injury-prevention-corner/
Live Your DREAMS: Reaching Out to San Jacinto College Students on Impaired and Distracted DrivingIn October, a collaborative group of Memorial Hermann injury prevention champions joined Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in a Live Your DREAMS outreach event to educate and engage San Jacinto College students about the dangers of impaired and distracted driving.
The site was the San Jacinto College South Campus, where exhibits, games and simulators were set up to attract students to participate. Memorial Hermann was invited to take part in this annual event by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Southeast Texas Region.
Students were encouraged to participate in interactive games to highlight the dangers of driving under the influence and distracted driving. For example, the “Distract-A-Match” game gave students a hands-on demonstration to exhibit the dangers of distracted driving, which can lead to serious injuries or death. Students were encouraged to discuss ways to prevent the distractions in the vehicle; those may include the phone, friends, family and the radio.
“This event brought together college students and our injury prevention champions who enjoyed spending quality time discussing the consequences and dangers that students may not be thinking about when they get behind the wheel,” said Sarah Beth Abbott, Injury Prevention and Outreach Education Coordinator at Red Duke Trauma Institute.
Memorial Hermann partnered with the Houston Fire Department to unveil the newest prevention tools - impaired driving simulators and virtual reality goggles - at the event. These tools are used all across Greater Houston by the Houston Fire Department and Memorial Hermann’s Live Your DREAM’s program.
Tone Your Bones Event Held at Local YMCAA group of 60 people attended a “Tone Your Bones” screening event and seminar held at the Trotter Family YMCA in Houston to hear information on bone health and fall prevention from Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and its partners from McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.
Working with UTHealth Wellness Center and UTOrthopedics Bone Health Clinic members, providers used calcaneal quantitative ultrasound machines to prescreen community members’ bone density.
“Our goal was to allow participants to learn if they might be at higher risk for osteoporosis or if they might need a formal evaluation by a healthcare provider,” said Christina Yazdani, Physician Assistant and Fragility Fracture Program Coordinator. If needed, participants were then provided information on how to follow up with clinicians.
The Trotter YMCA event also included physical therapists from Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation and TIRR Memorial Hermann, who screened participants for fall risk factors using a series of age-specific tests, including a fall risk self-assessment survey. About seven out of 10 people assessed for fall risk were older than 65, an age group with a generally greater likelihood of falls. Additionally, participants were invited to stay for presentations for more in-depth conversations on bone health, injury prevention and physical therapy. The day ended with a tai chi demonstration for all participants to partake in.
TIRR is a registered trademark of TIRR Foundation.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 10:03:28 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/injury-prevention-corner/Aircraft Accident Simulation for First Respondershttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/aircraft-accident-simulation-for-first-responders/
In mid-November, staff at Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and local first responders faced a crisis scenario: a Life Flight® helicopter was apparently lost somewhere over Montgomery County with four people aboard.
While the crisis was not real, the response that quickly followed was. Teams from various agencies across the region jumped into action, just as they would if the unlikely scenario were ever to occur.
In the exercise, known as Operation May Day, the Life Flight Communications Center activated missing aircraft procedures, dispatching another aircraft and ground emergency responders to find the missing chopper. Each was given the missing aircraft’s last known location. To enhance the realism, an out-of-service Life Flight aircraft had landed at the training grounds used by The Woodlands Fire Department, where it awaited discovery.
When the downed helicopter was spotted, firefighters, Montgomery County Hospital District (MCHD) EMS and the Shenandoah Police Department headed to the incident and encountered four seemingly severely burned patients, three adults and one child. Actually, the injured were nursing students from Texas Woman’s University who had volunteered to play the part. “Moulage” techniques – the use of makeup, molding and casting – were employed to simulate the victim’s injuries and burns. Each patient had a set of symptoms to challenge rescuers and clinicians.
The patients were transported by paramedics to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center for treatment. There, treatment teams made the decision to transfer the patients via Life Flight to the Red Duke Trauma Institute, Houston’s only Level I trauma center for both adults and children. There, four other volunteer nursing students, who had been outfitted with the same injuries through moulage, were on the helipad and ready to be taken to the Emergency Center and the John S. Dunn Burn Center.
“Our goals were to evaluate the efficiency of each of the separate disciplines involved,” says Tom Flanagan, Vice President of Trauma Service Line and System Integration. That includes how well communications were handled, the medical decisions made and treatment times achieved, and the efficiency of the transfer and transport process. Evaluators were on hand at both locations to document how well participants performed.
Police and firefighters also used this as an opportunity to evaluate and learn. “Exercising our teams with our partners at Memorial Hermann is an annual goal of The Woodlands Fire Department,” said Fire Chief Alan Benson. He lauded the aviation crash scenario as being a “very good test of our fire and EMS crews.”
He added that interagency cooperation fostered by training in such crisis scenarios is vital. “There’s often fragmented communication in situations like the one we trained on, and there can be duplication of efforts and confusion. Knowing your partners in advance builds trust among the various agencies. That’s very helpful in a real-world situation so that we are all on the same page.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 09:18:38 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/aircraft-accident-simulation-for-first-responders/Memorial Hermann's New Patient Care Tower to be Named the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Pavilionhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann’s-new-patient-care-tower-to-be--named-the-susan-and-fayez-sarofim-pavilion/
In
recognition of the overwhelming generosity of Susan and Fayez Sarofim,Memorial
Hermann Health System is proud to announce that the new 17-story patient
care tower currently under construction at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical
Center (TMC) will be named the Susan and
Fayez Sarofim Pavilion.The
Sarofims made a $25 million gift in support of Memorial Hermann-TMC’s Breaking New Ground renovation and
expansion project, with the new Sarofim Pavilion to be completed in 2020. The
contribution is the largest gift Memorial Hermann has ever received.“Fayez
and I are extremely passionate about the trauma services provided by Memorial
Hermann,” said Susan Sarofim. “We hope our financial support will also help the
hospital to further develop necessary research, critical care advancements and injury
prevention programs that will revolutionize the field of trauma services as we
know it.”Once
completed, the Susan and Fayez Sarofim Pavilion will house the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial
Hermann-Texas Medical Center , one of only two Level I trauma centers in
Houston; the John.
S. Dunn Burn Center, the only comprehensive burn center in the city; as
well as other critical care services. Memorial Hermann Life
Flight® will also be relocated to the new tower. “The
Sarofims’ generous gift helps ensure Houstonians are receiving the patient-centered,
high-quality care that our great city requires as the population continues to
expand,” said Chuck Stokes, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann. “We are honored
that our new patient tower will bear the Sarofim name, preserving the family’s
legacy of supporting innovative and evidence-based medicine that touches the
lives of people throughout the region.”The
TMC Campus expansion will include 160 additional beds (plus 71 replacement
beds), 24 operating rooms (19 replacement and five additional), 16 additional
emergency center bays, more than 600 new parking spaces and a 335-seat café. In
addition, seven shelled or unfinished floors, including six operating rooms,
will be constructed to accommodate future growth as needed.Founded
in 1925 as the first hospital in what would become the now world-renowned Texas
Medical Center, Memorial Hermann-TMC’s original facility was only 200,000
square feet. Today, the health system’s flagship hospital, the primary teaching
hospital for McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, encompasses more than 2.5
million square feet. With this expansion, the Campus will grow to 3.84 million
square feet.Those
interested in donating can contribute to Memorial Hermann’s Breaking New Ground campaign by clicking
here or emailing MH.Foundation@memorialhermann.org.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 07 Feb 2018 10:02:26 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann’s-new-patient-care-tower-to-be--named-the-susan-and-fayez-sarofim-pavilion/Life Flight Ride Along Programhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/life-flight-ride-along-program/
Memorial Hermann Life Flight® offers a ride-along program to paramedics, police officers and fire fighters of local departments as an opportunity to see firsthand our air medical operations. Participants will complete a safety briefing upon arrival at the base and serve as an observer on flights.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 09:52:56 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/newsletter/REBOA Technique Provides Critical Bridge to Surgeryhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/reboa-technique-provides-critical-bridge-to-surgery/
Thanks to the use of the REBOA (Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta) device, trauma patients who have impending cardiac arrest from bleeding can now have better outcomes.
That’s exactly what happened in Michael Cassidy’s case, when Dr. Michelle McNutt, a surgeon affiliated with Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center , and a multidisciplinary medical team employed the lifesaving technique on the young father who had arrived at the Red Duke Trauma Institute with terrible injuries.
Michael had fractured his pelvis and was hemorrhaging uncontrollably from an open “saddle” wound. “There was very little time to act. His was a perfect case for the use of REBOA,” said Dr. McNutt, the Institute’s Chief of Trauma.
The REBOA technique involves immediately placing a flexible catheter into the femoral artery where it is maneuvered into the aorta. A balloon at the catheter’s tip is strategically inflated, stopping blood flow to the body beyond the balloon. The device is manufactured and sold by Prytime Medical, an innovative medical device company that designs, develops and commercializes minimally invasive solutions for vascular trauma.
“It’s a very temporary measure that serves as a critical bridge,” said Dr. Laura Moore, Medical Director of Shock Trauma, who has written extensively about the technique and was briefed on Michael’s case. “It’s really become a game changer because it gives us the short window of time we need to stop the bleeding so we can move patients into surgery.”
While early versions of REBOA were developed for and used in endovascular surgeries in burst aneurism cases, its use in trauma bays is relatively new. More and more hospital systems across the nation have employed it over the last of years.
“Memorial Hermann is an early adopter and we have become a leader in its use in trauma cases and in our clinical research,” Dr. Moore explained. “This allows us to help educate other medical professionals on the proper application of the device, and we believe it will become a widely accepted standard of care. It is one of the most exciting developments in our field.”
There is no doubt in Dr. McNutt’s mind that in Michael’s case the device made all the difference, “Michael’s case highlights how a well-coordinated Level I trauma center like ours at Memorial Hermann – with integrated trauma, orthopedic surgery, emergency center and anesthesia – can have a great impact on improved patient outcomes,” said Dr. McNutt.
After she employed the device, Michael’s blood pressure climbed to 120 from 60. “That gave us the time to get him into surgery and do what needed to be done,” Dr. McNutt said. “Just a few years ago, a patient in Michael’s condition would likely not have survived.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 05:04:09 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/reboa-technique-provides-critical-bridge-to-surgery/Life Flight Key to Young Fathers Survival After Horrific Motorcycle Crashhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/life-flight-key-to-young-fathers-survival-after-horrific-motorcycle-crash/
Michael Cassidy was cruising home on his motorcycle early this year after proudly passing a welding exam. He was looking forward to telling his family and fiancée the good news.
That is when his life changed forever.
Without warning, the back wheel of the motorcycle spun out, and Michael, 25, lost control. “I had just enough time to aim myself between two cars toward some grass on the side of the road,” he remembers.
Michael made it between the two vehicles but failed to spot a fire hydrant that was straight ahead. The impact was devastating. “It split me open,” he said. “When I found myself lying on the ground, I was facing down. But my legs were facing up. I knew it was really bad.”
As Michael tried to roll over on his back, he realized he had lost feeling in his legs, he said. “I could see I was bleeding badly, so I used my arms to try to squeeze my legs together.”
Incredibly, among the handful of people who had witnessed the accident were two off-duty nurses. “They did everything they could to try to control my bleeding,” Michael said.
The nurses voiced concern that he might not survive a ride to a hospital in an ambulance, so they insisted that Memorial Hermann Life Flight® be called. “They said I couldn’t wait,” Michael remembers. “They insisted on Life Flight, because I needed help fast.”
When the helicopter arrived, the paramedic team used a junctional tourniquet – a device usually employed in war zones - to slow blood flow to Michael’s lower extremities. At the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Trauma Chief Michelle McNutt, M.D., continually communicated with the Life Flight crew as she and a team prepared to receive their patient. When Michael was wheeled in, they discovered a horrific, open “saddle” injury. “His pelvic fracture had no containment,” Dr. McNutt said. “That’s the worst type of pelvic fracture for blood loss.”
Michael was in a confused state, she recalls, and likely wasn’t getting enough blood to his brain. Dr. McNutt, an associate professor in the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, decided to use a device known as REBOA (see REBOA device provides critical bridge to surgery) to stop the blood loss. She inserted the catheter through Michael’s groin and maneuvered the flexible device up the femoral artery to near the aorta and inflated its balloon tip. With the bleeding stopped, the team explored Michael’s injuries and decided to remove part of his badly damaged colon and placed a colostomy.
Working in concert with Dr. McNutt, orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Timothy Achor, an associate professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, used external fixers and percutaneous screws to hold Michael’s shattered pelvis together. “This was one of the most severe pelvic fractures I’ve ever seen,” Dr. Achor said. “Patients with devastating injuries like this can exsanguinate (bleed out) before they make it to the hospital.”
Additionally, a urological team treated his bladder injury, while a colorectal team and plastic team assisted with supporting structures.
For Michael, a month in the hospital followed. He was then moved to a nursing home. His physical therapy has continued, and he has regained function despite walking with a slight limp. He will use an ostomy bag for the rest of his life. “Other than that, everything is working,” he said with a chuckle.
Michael is working in a door manufacturing company in its stock room and plans to return to school to finish his welding program when he can, he said. Meanwhile, he and his fiancée welcomed their first child, a son Azrael, on Sept. 18.
The young father said he is grateful to the team of Memorial Hermann doctors, nurses and paramedics who provided his care. “They saved my life,” he said. “I’m thankful that I can see my son grow up and be a part of his future.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 06:03:14 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/about-us/hisd-nurses-receive-essential-blood-loss-training-from-red-duke-trauma-institute/Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute Offers Advice to Prevent Falls Following Hurricane Harveyhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-red-duke-trauma-institute-offers-advice-to-prevent-falls-following-hurricane-harvey/
You may be surprised to learn falls, not motor vehicle crashes or gunshot wounds, are the number one reason people are taken to Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute, the busiest Level I trauma center in the country. In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, damage and debris left behind from the storm and cleanup efforts underway have put people at a higher risk of having a fall.
“The storm has displaced many into unfamiliar living situations with friends, family, new apartments or shelters. For those in homes, the storm created a lot of work that we’re not used to doing, such as repairs or debris removal that require climbing up on ladders or onto roofs, and using chainsaws and other tools that can cause injury if not used properly. All of these situations put people at a higher risk for injury or falls,” said Sasha Adams, M.D., a trauma surgeon with the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “We have had a lot of people coming in to see us recently following falls related to the cleanup.”
Unfortunately, falls are a problem year round, not just during times of disaster. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every second of every day in the United States an older adult falls. Falls are the number one cause of injuries and deaths from injury among older Americans.
Dr. Adams offers these tips to help reduce the risk for falls around the house:
Remove clutter, electrical cords, throw rugs and anything else that might cause someone to tripArrange furniture so there is plenty of room for walkingWipe up spills immediatelyWear proper footwear inside the house to avoid slippingMake sure outdoor areas are well lit and walkways are smooth and free from debris Use non-slip adhesive strips on stairsUse non-skid mats in the bath and showerInstall grab bars in the tub, shower and near the toiletInstall railings on both sides of stairsProvide adequate lighting in every room and stairwayPlace nightlights in hallways and around stairsMake often-used items more accessible to avoid using a ladder or step stoolIf necessary, consider a cane or walker to aid in stability
Dr. Adams stresses that beyond the tips listed above, it is important for older adults to make sure they are keeping bones healthy and engaging in exercise programs that focus on tone, balance and leg strength. Annual eye exams and regular medication reviews are important as well.
Fall Prevention Awareness Week is Sept. 22-28. Dr. Adams encourages everyone to consider ways to reduce the risk of falls. “Talk to your doctor or a physical therapist about a fall risk assessment and if you haven’t already, start an appropriate exercise plan,” said Dr. Adams. “In addition, the Memorial Hermann injury prevention team and Red Duke Trauma Institute partners with a number of community organizations to offer educational programs and fall risk screenings to older adults in the Houston area.”
Learn more about how to prevent falls and injury prevention.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 07:00:01 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-red-duke-trauma-institute-offers-advice-to-prevent-falls-following-hurricane-harvey/Something New Takes Flight at Children's Memorial Hermannhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/something-new-takes-flight-at-children’s-memorial-hermann/
Children’s Memorial Hermann and Memorial Hermann Life Flight® today unveiled a new look for one of the signature red Life Flight helicopters. The redesigned helicopter sports a bright green exterior and features the Children’s Memorial Hermann logo.
“Memorial Hermann Life Flight was the first hospital-based air ambulance service in the state and has been flying pediatric patients for the past 41 years,” said Susie Distefano, SVP and CEO of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. “Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, in partnership with Memorial Hermann Life Flight, was the first pediatric hospital in the community to provide hospital-based ground and air ambulance transportation for critically ill newborns, children and high-risk obstetric patients. The aircraft redesign puts a fresh face on our commitment to children and the Houston community as a whole.”
The green helicopter will be reintegrated immediately into the existing Life Flight fleet and will operate alongside the other five, red aircrafts.
“Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital recently celebrated its 30th anniversary,” said Tom Flanagan, Vice President of the Trauma Service Line for Memorial Hermann Health System and Chief Operating Officer at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. “The new look of this aircraft serves as a symbol of our devotion to continue providing compassionate, high quality care to women and children in their greatest times of need.”
In addition to the helicopter’s makeover, the Children’s Transport Team at Children’s Memorial Hermann will be sporting new uniforms, which are black with bright green stripes that accent the sides of the jumpsuit and match the new helicopter.
For pediatric patients needing critical care, increasing the chance for survival and recovery means getting the best care as quickly as possible. Led by pediatric and neonatal intensive care physicians, the Children's Transport Team provides specialized emergency pediatric and neonatal transport services for patients from infants and premature babies, including those born as early as 23 weeks' gestation and weighing as little as one pound, to adolescents – around the clock, 365 days a year.
Our transport capabilities ensure that pediatric patients admitted to local, regional, national and international hospitals can be quickly transferred to a hospital within the Memorial Hermann Health System. Depending on the location and severity of the child's medical condition, the transport team will use:
A ground ambulance service for cases up to 300 miles awayMemorial Hermann Life Flight for cases up to 150 miles awayFixed-wing air transport worldwide
Memorial Hermann is the only Houston-based health system that offers this innovative service to transport pediatric patients as well as adult patients and care for them at one facility, helping to ensure all patients receive the best care from specialized physicians as soon as possible.
Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute is the only certified Level I trauma center in the Texas Medical Center able to admit and care for patients of all ages under one roof. This provides a unique advantage for families, especially in trauma situations when multiple family members are admitted to the Emergency Center, as we are equipped to care for the entire family unit in one place.
Life Flight was founded in 1976 by James "Red" Duke, M.D., and the service operates around the clock – weather permitting – 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Crews perform more than 3,000 missions each year, making the John S. Dunn Helistop one of the busiest helipads in the world. Since its inaugural flight, Memorial Hermann Life Flight has flown more than 140,000 missions.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 10:19:11 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/something-new-takes-flight-at-children’s-memorial-hermann/Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute Leading the Local Coalition Working to 'Stop the Bleed'https://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-red-duke-trauma-institute-leading-the-local-coalition-working-to-‘stop-the-bleed’/
Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death from trauma according to the World Health Organization. Unfortunately, many times when traumatic bleeding occurs the first people to arrive on scene are bystanders who have no medical training. Studies indicate nearly 80 percent of civilian trauma fatalities are due to uncontrolled hemorrhage from an extremity.
In an effort to change that statistic, Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute is leading the coalition in southeast Texas to teach others how to stop uncontrolled bleeding as part of the national Stop the Bleed campaign. For the past several days, Red Duke Trauma Institute has partnered with Houston’s other adult and pediatric Level I trauma centers – Ben Taub Hospital, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital – to offer a course called “Bleeding Control for the Injured” to school nurses from the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest school district in the state of Texas. More than 300 of the district’s school nurses have been trained during three days of educational, hands-on sessions held at Crime Stoppers of Houston. Team members from each of the trauma centers, together with Memorial Hermann Life Flight crew members assisted with the training.
“When someone has a major injury, they can bleed out and die within just minutes. But if someone on site is trained to simply control the bleeding, we can keep those people alive until medical help arrives,” said Dr. Sasha Adams, a trauma surgeon at Red Duke Trauma Institute and assistant professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.
Every school nurse who attended the sessions received a bleeding control kit to take with them back to their schools. Each kit contains trauma shears to cut away clothing, a tourniquet, bandages and gauze, along with protective gloves and an instruction book. As part of the course, the nurses were taught how to identify the source of the bleeding, apply pressure to the wound, pack the wound with gauze and apply a tourniquet.
“For a long time people were scared of tourniquets because many thought they led to worse injuries such as losing a limb,” said Dr. Adams. “What we’ve found during recent military conflicts is that the real issue with these types of injuries is the life-threatening bleeding and if we don’t stop it, people die. A tourniquet, when applied properly, can save a life.”
The Stop the Bleed campaign was launched in 2013 by the Hartford Consensus – a collaborative group of federal law enforcement agencies, trauma surgeons and emergency responders – to improve survival for the victims of gunshots and mass casualty events, such as the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting or the Boston Marathon bombings.
“As part of the Hartford Consensus, we have played an active role in this initiative from the start. We recognize its importance and the responsibility we have as the busiest Level I trauma center in the country to teach others these life-saving techniques,” said Tom Flanagan, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Vice President of the Trauma Service Line for Memorial Hermann Health System. “We are deeply committed to serving our community and helping to protect our children. We hope no one finds him or herself in a situation in which this training is necessary. But if something traumatic does happen, now these nurses will be prepared to go on the offensive to minimize bleeding until medical help can arrive.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 07:47:15 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-red-duke-trauma-institute-leading-the-local-coalition-working-to-‘stop-the-bleed’/Steven Fisher Makes a Comebackhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/steven-fisher-makes-a-comeback/
Six months after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries in a motor vehicle crash, 38-year-old Steven Fisher was walking again, thanks to the skill of the multidisciplinary team at the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute and the handiwork of his orthopedic traumatologist Joshua Gary, MD.
Fisher was about two minutes from his home in Spring, Texas, when a Ford F250 pickup pulled out of a parking lot in front of his small car. He hit the truck head on and was partially ejected from the vehicle. His right foot, caught under the accelerator, held him in the car.
“I was lucky in one sense,” he says. “An ambulance headed back to the station happened to roll up on the accident scene. They called Memorial Hermann Life Flight® on the spot. Later I heard that the EMTs who found me didn’t expect me to make it.”
Fisher was unconscious on arrival at the Red Duke Trauma Institute. He suffered a brain hemorrhage and severe orthopedic injuries that included a closed right femur fracture, a Grade IIIB open tibial fracture, a hip socket fracture, dislocation of the sacroiliac joint and an open right pantalar dislocation from which the entire talas bone protruded through the skin. During his month-long stay in the ICU at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, traumatologists performed more than 10 surgeries.
“Steven underwent a large staged orthopedic repair in coordination with plastic and reconstructive surgery and neurosurgery,” says Dr. Gary, an associate professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “A complex case like his requires the effort of our entire team. That access to subspecialty care and collaboration across all fields of care is what sets the Red Duke Trauma Institute apart from most Level II trauma centers. With each of our trauma patients we think first, save the life, then save the limb, then restore function.”
The musculoskeletal component of Fisher’s injuries alone was severe, with limb-threatening trauma. “At the beginning, we weren’t sure if he would ever be able to walk again,” says Dr. Gary, whose areas of clinical interest include pelvic and acetabular fractures, complex fractures and dislocations, and malunion and nonunion surgery. “Because he was too unstable to undergo definitive orthopedic surgery on arrival, we cleaned the open injuries and placed an external fixator for the tibial plateau fracture and repaired the pelvic and acetabular fractures through small incisions. This removed the urgency to treat his musculoskeletal injuries and allowed time for his other injuries, including his brain, to heal.”
Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Emmanuel Melissinos, MD, was called in on the case to save Fisher’s leg. “We had two areas of concern,” Dr. Melissinos says. “On his upper leg close to the knee, flesh was missing. We had to move muscle around and graft skin to cover it. He also had a terrible ankle injury – a large area with exposed fractures and tendons, damage to the anterior tibial artery and loss of flesh. To cover it, we did a modified radial forearm free flap, using a modification we developed here at Memorial Hermann. When you take that much flesh from the forearm, the patient ends up with a large secondary defect. We’ve modified the free flap so that we can close the donor site without disfigurement.”
Fisher doesn’t recall any of his hospital stay or his first two weeks at home. “Once my wife got to the hospital, she stayed there by my side and never left,” he says. “After I was discharged, we turned the den into a hospital room, and she slept near me on the couch.”
He continues to see Dr. Gary in follow-up. “He’s walking very well,” the orthopedic surgeon says. “On his last visit, he and his wife brought his son, who wanted to thank me for saving his dad.”
Fisher, who with his wife, Ashley Duran, has children ages 12, 9 and 7, believes the prayers and love he received from family members and friends who visited him in the ICU helped speed his recovery. “This has been a very painful and emotional ordeal, and I’m so grateful that Dr. Gary, Dr. Melissinos and all the others care so much about their work and their patients. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be here. After they put me back together, they didn’t expect me to be able to walk for two years. I went to therapy and fought and fought as much as I could and was walking in six months. I have no bad feelings about the accident because there’s so much to be grateful for. The best part is being alive, and being back to being a daddy and husband again.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 09:35:20 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/steven-fisher-makes-a-comeback/Saving Maria Sonnen's Leghttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/saving-maria-sonnen-s-leg/
It’s been more than a year since Maria Sonnen and her daughter, Laura Sonnen, were hit from behind repeatedly by a man driving a Nissan Frontier pickup truck. The upshot of the assault was a severe injury to her left leg and near complete loss of the skin from behind her right knee to her ankle circumferentially, putting her at risk for an above-the-knee amputation. At many Level I trauma centers, the outcome would have been loss of her leg. Instead, she’s back to the life she loves.
Toward the end of January 2016, Sonnen and her daughter were in late rush-hour traffic in Houston. “We were stopped on the feeder because of construction at an exit,” she recalls. “Laura was driving. She looked in the rearview mirror and told me to hold on, that we were going to be hit from behind by a car that was coming up fast. When he hit us a second time, my daughter, who is a medical assistant, got out to make sure he was okay. We thought he might be having a heart attack or stroke. Then I got out to check on Laura.”
Sonnen was standing next to the car with the passenger door open when the driver rammed her car again, knocking her down. “I was unconscious for a short time,” she recalls. “When I woke up, I was laying on the ground on my back and felt a terrible burning sensation on my right leg. I was screaming, ‘What have you done to my leg?’ Then EMS arrived.”
At the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute, she was rushed to a trauma bay by a team that included orthopedic traumatologist Joshua Gary, MD, an associate professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, and plastic and reconstructive surgeon Emmanuel Melissinos, MD.
“Both of Maria’s legs had severe injuries,” Dr. Gary says. “The right leg was degloved almost 360 degrees, with skin missing from above the knee to the mid-portion of the shin. When you’ve lost that much skin, you’re staring at an amputation. We told her family we had to see what Dr. Melissinos could do.”
In addition to the large area of lost flesh on the right leg, she had an open fracture, had lost an artery and had extensive nerve damage. “Dr. Gary stabilized the fracture, and we did a number of irrigations and debridements to gradually remove necrotic tissue to get to a situation we could control,” Dr. Melissinos says. “When we start on wounds like this, we don’t know if we’ll be able to go to reconstruction, especially if the flesh keeps dying. So we do it slowly in stages. With Maria, it was not easy to determine whether her leg was salvageable, which underscores the importance of being treated at a trauma center where physicians know how to do these procedures.”
When he found that the wound was reconstructable, the plastic surgery team proceeded with a modified radial forearm free flap and split-thickness skin grafts using adjacent skin. While the standard radial free flap carries with it significant morbidity and leaves a large secondary defect, a modified version developed by Dr. Melissinos involves taking a very small strip of skin with a larger amount of flesh around it, which leaves a line scar on the forearm.
Sonnen’s left leg had a smaller area of necrosis and a fracture with no exposed bone. “Because there was skin and flesh around it, the reconstruction was much simpler,” Dr. Melissinos says. “We debrided the wound until it was clean and found healthy tissue underneath. We partially closed it by advancing the adjacent tissues and then did a split-thickness skin graft.”
Sonnen was hospitalized for three months, then spent two and a half months in a skilled nursing facility before she was discharged to home. Her daughter stayed by her side.
“Dr. Melissinos is a miracle worker,” Dr. Gary says. “He does things other plastic and reconstructive surgeons can’t do, and the work he did on Maria gave her a functional leg. He’s one of a kind and a big reason why our center does fewer amputations than other Level I trauma centers. He’s been dedicated to his practice for 30 years now, and he really, really makes a difference in what we can do to restore function. Maria was 74 at the time of her accident. With an amputation at that age, she would likely be in a wheelchair and never walk again. On the night she came in, I would never have predicted that her outcome would be as good as it is. Dr. Melissinos made the difference.”
Sonnen did rehabilitation for three months and continues the work on her own. “It’s been a long, long process but it gets better all the time,” she says. “I’m not a quitter. I psych myself up by telling myself that I have the capability, stamina and strength to do this. Success doesn’t always come easily, and I had to do a lot of inner searching. I didn’t want to quit because it hurt.”
Dr. Gary says Sonnen is a testament to the skill of the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center Orthopedic Trauma Service. “A success for us as orthopedic traumatologists is someone who, a year later, is back to function. We have the opportunity to help severely injured patients restore their life to normal, and because we see them over time, we establish long-term relationships. That strong relationship is very rewarding.”
Although she occasionally loses her balance, Sonnen doesn’t think of it as a disability. “I grab my walking cane and do my laundry,” she says. “What happened to me was a traumatic life-changing event, but if you make up your mind, you can do anything. Using my own skin and muscle, Dr. Melissinos reconstructed my leg. It’s a blessing that he took care of me. I’m not saying that what I went through was easy. It was hard and painful, but the rewards are great because I’m still here and I can walk. I can cook and bake, trim my rosebushes, and walk around my yard.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 09:21:04 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/saving-maria-sonnen-s-leg/Dylan Pugh: In the Best Handshttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/dylan-pugh--in-the-best-hands/
Dylan Pugh remembers working that day, coming home and going out again to meet friends. On the drive home later that night, he swerved to avoid an oncoming car and his one-ton Chevy Silverado Duramax left the road, hit a ditch, went airborne and slammed into a tree. The crash occurred on Sept. 29, 2016, on a farm-to-market road in Huntsville, Texas, where the 21-year-old had just started his senior year at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). His friends were behind him in another vehicle; they called 911 and their parents.
Pugh’s mother, Angela McBee, got the call at her home in Madisonville, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Houston, where her son was transported by Memorial Hermann Life Flight®. She alerted her ex-husband, Dennis Pugh, and the two arrived at the Red Duke Trauma Institute at about the same time.
She remembers the drive as “long and pretty tough. When we got there, they took us back to see Dylan. He was unconscious, intubated and on a ventilator,” she says. “We go in and see our baby lying there on the table for a CT scan. Seeing that was nothing I’d wish on anyone, ever. At the same time we knew he was right where he needed to be. Things went like clockwork, and the staff was incredible. They told us about the surgery Dylan would have and that Dr. Chip Routt would be doing it. One doctor said, ‘If this happened to me, he’s the man I’d want to have do the surgery.’ So I Googled him, and knew right away that Dylan was in the best hands.”
Milton “Chip” Routt, MD, is a professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. His areas of expertise include traumatic pelvic ring disruptions and acetabular fractures. He is internationally recognized for pioneering safe percutaneous pelvic fixation techniques, improving surgical care for complex acetabular fractures and advancing surgical safety.
“Dylan had a severe traumatic pelvic ring injury with fractures in both hip sockets and his right sacrum,” Dr. Routt says. “The sacral fracture extended into the joint where the sacrum articulates with the lower lumbar spine. This was a significant injury.”
To repair it, he made small incisions and placed strong screws to stabilize the fractured areas while they healed. He describes it as “a minimally invasive, maximally beneficial surgery.”
After Pugh’s discharge from Memorial Hermann-TMC, he was transferred to TIRR Memorial Hermann-The Woodlands for a three-week inpatient stay. He was released at the end of October and started in the hospital’s outpatient Challenge Program two days later. The program helps traumatic brain injury survivors maximize their potential by addressing the physical abilities, memory strategies, interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills they need for long-term success.
At the time of the accident, Pugh was three weeks into the fall semester of his senior year. An accomplished team roper who won “a good bit of money” through the U.S. Team Roping Championship, he entered SHSU in 2014 on a rodeo scholarship. He’ll graduate with a major in agricultural business and a minor in agricultural engineering in December 2017. His recovery complete, he’s also back to riding and roping.
“Dylan has made an excellent and remarkable recovery,” Dr. Routt says. “He had a very severe set of injuries and a challenging hill to climb in order to recover. He’s a strong-willed and physically strong young man, and those qualities have helped him a lot. He also has an extremely supportive family that was fantastic to work with. They asked all the right questions and were on board with the plan.”
“At the beginning, the trauma team told us that Dylan’s injuries were serious and cautioned us against letting our hopes get too high,” McBee says. “But he kept hitting milestone after milestone in his recovery and surpassed everyone’s expectations. It’s all due to the grace of God, the skill of the surgeons and the incredible care he received. And he’s also pretty tough.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 09:02:27 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/dylan-pugh--in-the-best-hands/Brian Southwell: A Walking Miraclehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/brian-southwell--a-walking-miracle/
After working his usual night shift on a Tuesday, and then the day shift the following Thursday, Brian Southwell was lying in bed in the wee hours of the morning unable to sleep. “It was a few days before Christmas, and I was going to have my daughter for the weekend,” he recalls. “I thought, instead of taking a four-year-old shopping at Walmart right before Christmas, I’d just get up and go now because I couldn’t sleep anyway.”
It was 4:30 a.m. when the 45-year-old left his home in Onalaska, Texas, to make the 14-mile drive to Livingston. Along the way, he fell asleep at the wheel of his mid-size Chrysler sedan. He doesn’t remember the accident but has sharp recall of everything that happened immediately afterward.
“I called 911, and they got my location from the GPS on my phone,” he says. “I could hear cars behind me on the road, but they couldn’t see me because I was hidden in the trees. I tried to get to my flashlight out of the trunk but I was too injured to move. Then I remembered the flashlight on my cell phone and stood it up on the dash against the windshield. That’s how the EMTs found me.”
Southwell was taken to the community hospital in Livingston with a broken rib, several fractured ribs, a fractured sternum and intestines ruptured by the seatbelt. The impact also severely shattered his right ankle. As soon as they rolled him through the door of the emergency center, he was told he would be transported to Houston.
Fog had grounded Memorial Hermann Life Flight®, and he was taken by ambulance to the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute in the Texas Medical Center, a 77-mile trip. On arrival, the top-notch multidisciplinary trauma team went to work to save his life.
Southwell underwent multiple surgeries to repair his ruptured intestines, including a temporary ostomy that was later reversed, a series of abdominal skin grafts and reconstruction of his abdominal wall. Fellowship-trained orthopedic traumatologist John Munz, MD, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, was called in to repair Southwell’s shattered ankle.
“Brian had a dislocation, a talar neck and head fracture, and a navicular fracture – a significant ankle injury,” Dr. Munz says. “Because of his bowel and colon injury, he had been hospitalized for nearly three weeks before I could repair his ankle. It was a complex reconstruction, with plates on both sides held in place by seven screws and two pins. It went well.”
It took Southwell six months to recover from his ankle injury. After the surgery, he was non-weight bearing for five months. He went through rehabilitation with a home health coach, with physical therapy and protected weight bearing with a boot in the fifth month, then heavier weight bearing without a boot at month six.
“Brian is a very motivated and determined guy,” Dr. Munz says. “He kept his sense of humor through it all and always had a good attitude. He completely bought into his treatment plan and was very committed to walking again. Because of how severe the injury was, I initially thought we’d have to do further reconstruction to give him a durable ankle. But we didn’t, thanks to his drive to get better.”
Southwell remembers his worst moments: dealing with the physical limitations and psychological effect of using the walker. “I was 45 years old, in perfect health and very active,” he says. “I was alone at home and found it difficult even to make lunch for myself. I appreciate everything Dr. Munz did to help me walk again.”
For a high-functioning individual like Southwell, a shattered ankle is a potentially life-changing injury. Dr. Munz follows patients periodically for two years after an accident, then every year moving forward in annual surveillance.
“With this type of injury to the ankle, patients can develop problems down the road,” he says. “I like to keep them in the system and let them know that I care about them. Brian had many other serious injuries, but foot and ankle injuries drive long-term outcomes because the quality of care patients receive and how well they heal determines whether they’ll walk again. Orthopedic injuries have the potential to be the most debilitating. To take a guy in the prime of life with an injury that could cause a lifetime of pain and disability, and put him together so he can return to normal life, is a huge thing for him and for society. For a surgeon, it’s incredibly rewarding.”
Brian Southwell wishes to thank his entire medical team. In addition to Dr. Munz, they were trauma surgeons Michelle McNutt, MD, Joseph Love, DO, Rondel Albarado, MD, Bryan Cotton, MD, MPH, Saleem Khan, MD, John A. Harvin, MD, all of whom are faculty in the Department of Surgery, Division of Acute Care Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth; and plastic surgeon David Wainwright, MD, in the medical school’s Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 08:43:43 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/brian-southwell--a-walking-miracle/Anthony Vallone: Without Stoppinghttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/anthony-vallone--without-stopping/
After a devastating automobile accident that nearly took his life, Anthony Vallone is back at work at Shell Trading with barely a limp, thanks to his strength of character, a supportive family and the orthopedic trauma team at the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for all of my doctors and therapists,” he says. “Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
In September 2015, Vallone got an early start on the drive south on IH-45 from Dallas to his home in Houston. Around 5:30 a.m. his car was hit head on by a vehicle that entered the interstate from an exit ramp, going the wrong way. “The last thing on your mind when you’ve driven a route 100 times is that someone will be driving the wrong way on the freeway,” he says. “I was going 75 and they clocked her at 80, so we hit at a force of 160 miles per hour.”
Vallone’s car flipped and he landed upside down, hanging by his seatbelt. When the airbag engaged, it knocked him out. Rescuers found him unconscious, with his knees at his shoulders and his head under the steering column. “That was a Monday. I woke up the following Saturday,” he says.
A passing motorist called 911. After being extricated from his car, Vallone was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Waco, where trauma physicians attempted to stabilize him. In a brief moment of consciousness on the way to the OR, he gave a nurse his mother’s phone number.
Two days later, he was transported by Memorial Hermann Life Flight® to the Red Duke Trauma Institute at the request of his family, which has a long history of board participation and philanthropic involvement with Memorial Hermann. His orthopedic injuries were extensive and terrible: a severely shattered ankle, a broken pelvis and a collapsed spine with lumbopelvic dissociation.
In a daylong surgery, orthopedic traumatologists Milton “Chip” Routt, MD, and Shah Dodwad, MD, repaired his pelvis and spine. “There are several ways to break the back of the pelvis where it meets the spine, and Anthony’s was as bad as it can get,” says Dr. Routt, a professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. His areas of expertise include traumatic pelvic ring disruptions and acetabular fractures.
“We worked together as a team, Dr. Routt and I, repairing both the spine and pelvis in one operation,” recalls Dr. Dodwad, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the medical school and a specialist in complex spine surgery. “The injury crushed nerves in Anthony’s spine. We relieved the pressure on the nerves and stabilized his lumbar spine and pelvis with rods and screws to allow it to heal.”
In a separate procedure, William McGarvey, MD, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery, repaired Vallone’s shattered ankle. “His ankle was fractured in multiple places – tibia, fibula and talus,” says Dr. McGarvey, who specializes in surgery of the foot and ankle. “We manipulated it into the proper position and stabilized it with an external fixation device to hold the ankle in position and allow the soft tissue to settle down.”
A week later, Dr. McGarvey and his team repaired the fractures in a complex surgery. “He had a lot of swelling, and we had to work through some fractures to get to others,” he says. “We limited the amount of incision to prevent further soft-tissue damage. In addition to many fracture lines, there was missing bone. Gradually we were able to piece it together in a way that gave him a good result.”
Vallone was hospitalized at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center for three weeks. After a week as an inpatient at TIRR Memorial Hermann, he asked to be released to home. “We had a hospital bed brought in, and my family was there for me around the clock,” he says. “A physical therapist worked with me at home. Since I was non-weight bearing, there was very little I could do. I had the upper body strength to lift myself up, but my hips and legs took the brunt of the accident.”
It took Vallone a year to reach his goal of walking without a walker, cane or crutches. What kept him going was his family. “I have a huge family, and they pull together like no other. They truly dropped everything to take care of me. It was incredible and one of the most humbling experiences of my life. When you can’t do things for yourself and your life literally gets flipped upside down, you really learn what it means to care for somebody.”
Vallone now sees Dr. Routt, Dr. Dodwad and Dr. McGarvey in follow-up as needed. “My goal was to finish physical therapy so that I could continue on my own,” he says. “I work out every day. I wanted to get back to my own home and my job. I had to get back to being me.”
All three surgeons consider his recovery remarkable. “Anthony is really tough, smart and well informed,” Dr. Routt says. “He knows what he’s got and knew what he had to do to overcome it. We rebuilt his pelvis, spine and ankle, and he worked hard to optimize the outcome of his surgery.”
“An ankle injury like Anthony’s can leave patients with posttraumatic arthritis,” Dr. McGarvey says. “He healed beautifully and went on with life.” Vallone spent months in a wheelchair, then graduated to a walker and crutches. “The damage to nerves in his spine caused significant weakness in both legs,” Dr. Dodwad says. “Every time I saw him after the accident, he was working harder and harder. Eventually he could walk into my clinic instead of using a wheelchair. To see that happen is amazing. It speaks to his character – that of someone who will always keep moving forward.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 05:04:44 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/anthony-vallone--without-stopping/Chad Blackburn On the Upswinghttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/chad-blackburn-on-the-upswing/
After stopping to assist a motorist on IH-45 south of Houston, 42-year-old law enforcement officer Chad Blackburn was sitting at the wheel of his patrol car, entering the incident report on his dashboard computer. He was parked on the outside lane shoulder, seatbelt on, when a car plowed into his vehicle from behind and traveled through the driver’s side, trapping him in the driver’s seat. The incident occurred at 1:45 a.m. on Labor Day weekend in 2016, when he and officers across Texas were working a DWI task force.
“First responders arrived at the scene very fast, but they couldn’t see me in the vehicle,” Blackburn says. “Another law enforcement officer, a friend of mine, saw my work boot and knew I was still in the car. I was bleeding internally, and the EMS personnel knew time was of the essence.”
Rescuers used the Jaws of Life to pry apart the car and free Blackburn, who was transported to a community hospital in south Houston, where surgeons removed his spleen, stabilized him and arranged for air ambulance transport to the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute at the Texas Medical Center the following morning. His injuries included a broken nose, a fractured vertebra, eight broken ribs, a broken scapula, liver and kidney lacerations, severe damage to his lungs that threatened their function, and pelvic acetabular fractures to the right and left hip sockets.
“It was a full week before Chad woke up,” says his wife, Sherri Blackburn. “During that time Dr. Routt put his pelvis back together.”
Milton “Chip” Routt, M.D., an orthopedic trauma specialist at the Red Duke Trauma Institute, is a professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. His areas of expertise include traumatic pelvic ring disruptions and acetabular fractures.
“No matter how routine polytrauma is for our team of traumatologists, it’s always horrible for the patient,” he says. “We don’t see many patients with bilateral acetabular fractures like Chad’s. The right side was a terrible fracture, and to rebuild it we had to use anterior and posterior surgical approaches. We were able to repair the left side through a single incision from the back. So he had three operations in one day – two on the right hip and one on the left. The blast effect of the right-side fracture dislocation injured his sciatic nerve, and at surgery we could see that it was bruised but intact. The nerve began recovering several weeks after surgery.”
After several surgeries during a 23-day hospitalization at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Blackburn was admitted to The Crossings, a skilled nursing facility in League City, Texas, near the couple’s home. He remained at the facility for another 56 days.
“We’re very thankful for Dr. Routt,” Sherri Blackburn says. “He took the time to explain things in terms we understood, and he really listens. He was always hopeful that Chad would go back to doing the things he wanted to do. He put him back together and gave us instructions on how to continue the recovery. What he does is amazing.”
Dr. Routt was equally impressed with his patient and his family and friends. “Law enforcement officers do a great job of taking care of their own,” he says. “When one of them is hurt, we see a huge show of force for support. There were so many people in the ICU waiting room that we had to move them to a separate conference room. Chad had a vast, smart, supportive crew of informed people. They were appropriately upset, but at the same time they were remarkably calm. They knew there was a project going on to rebuild a human being and that every part, including theirs, was critical.
“They were also very hospitable,” he adds. “They brought in loads of food and had quite a buffet going on for all of us. There was always an officer standing guard outside his door, not because he wasn’t safe, but as a gesture of respect. They build a very strong support network around their people.”
Ask Blackburn what kept him going through the long hospitalization and recovery and he’ll tell you it was the will to win. “I didn’t want to give up. I have a wonderful wife and family, and I knew I wasn’t doing this alone. God was with me through it all,” he says. “I believed that my body could be fixed, and I had high expectations of myself to get moving and back to work.”
Before his injury, Blackburn and his son, Reese, ran several 5K races a year. During the long hospitalization, Reese ran the 5Ks alone and FaceTimed his father during the runs. “The whole family had this attitude that we weren’t going to give up,” Sherri Blackburn says. “We decided we were going to do what’s normal for us to the degree that we could. It was important to us to keep the right perspective.”
Today Blackburn is back to running 5Ks with his son, although he admits it’s a struggle. “I have to concentrate when I walk, and I have to concentrate even more when I jog,” he says. “There’s a lot of mental work involved, so it’s way more than the physical exertion of walking and jogging.”
The entire family is involved in speaking out against driving while intoxicated. The Blackburns’ daughter, Victoria, produced a public service announcement for her high school about how drunk drivers change lives. “This is now part of our everyday life,” Sherri Blackburn says. “It’s our mission to make people aware that this is no game. It’s serious business. It’s been an enormous disruption in our lives, but we’re focused on using it for the good. These kinds of accidents and injuries are totally preventable.”
Chad Blackburn spoke at a Shattered Dreams presentation at Hardin High School in Hardin, Texas, in May 2017. Shattered Dreams is a two-day, school-based program that promotes responsible decision-making among high school students about underage drinking and impaired driving by showing them how irresponsible choices can end all dreams. He hopes to stay involved with the program.
“We’re open to helping in any way we can,” he says.
The family made a long-awaited trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, in July 2017 and Blackburn returned to work at the end of that month. “When Chad was in the hospital and wasn’t talking too much, we all told him, ‘You’ve got to get going, because we’re going to Disney World,’” Sherri Blackburn says. “And we’re very thankful that we made it. We believe God has blessed us with great doctors who have done what they do very well. Things are on the upswing for our family. We’re so grateful for where we are now.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 09:55:28 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/chad-blackburn-on-the-upswing/Returning to the Waterhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/returning-to-the-water/
Returning to the Water, One Millimeter at a TimeMatthew Craig is preparing for his first college semester this fall at Baylor University where he will major in Bio Chemistry. The 18-year-old intends to enter the medical field and have a career in anesthesiology. It’s a career goal that has developed recently, after Craig survived a life-altering jet ski accident. In June 2013, Craig – then 15 – and his family were at their house on Lake Livingston enjoying some quality time when tragedy struck. While tubing behind a jet ski, Craig suddenly crashed into a boat dock. Right before impact, he attempted to protect his head as best he could and swung his legs around, which bore the brunt of the crash. His mother, Brenda, saw it happen and was there in an instant to grab her son out of the water. “I don’t think any of us knew how bad his injuries were at that point. We knew his left leg was broken and that we had to get him to the hospital for treatment,” Brenda Craig said.
The first responders at the scene were from the Livingston Volunteer Fire Department. After evaluating Craig’s injuries, they made the decision to call an air ambulance for the transport. It quickly became apparent to the family that their son’s injuries were more severe. Craig had damaged his femoral artery, a large artery in the thigh, and had broken his femur and tibia, requiring immediate surgery. He was flown to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, one of only two Level I pediatric trauma centers in the Greater Houston area.
One Millimeter at a Time
On-call that night was Dr. Alfred Mansour, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and director of pediatric orthopedic surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Upon arrival, Craig was immediately rushed to the operating room for his first of many surgeries. The initial procedure lasted more than six hours due to the extensive damage sustained in the accident. “The surgeons were very concerned about Matt’s leg because it was an open fracture in a marine environment with a very high risk of infection,” Brenda Craig recalled.
When Dr. Mansour gave the family an update on Craig’s condition, they discovered he was missing four inches of his tibia and would require an additional surgery to repair the damage. According to Dr. Mansour, “the process for us was to first save the leg, prevent any infection, put his femur back together, fix the lower part of Matt’s leg and allow his body to heal.” During his initial procedure, Craig’s surgical team placed antibiotic beads in his leg to reduce the risk of infection.
During the second surgery, Dr. Mansour brought in an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the Ilizarov procedure used to lengthen or reshape limb bones. The Ilizarov method utilizes a series of external rings attached to one another with tensioned wires and half pins transfixed to the bone. This is used to stabilize the entire bone and was necessary to heal and lengthen Craig’s tibia. During the two weeks he spent in the hospital, he had four adjustments per day with the Ilizarov, which allowed his bone to regrow in one millimeter increments. When Craig was released from the hospital, his treatment continued over the next eight months and included the use of the Ilizarov external fixator. At the end of those eight months, his tibia had grown the necessary four inches.
Over the course of the next year and a half, 10 surgeries were performed on Craig’s left leg, in both inpatient and outpatient settings. He then spent nearly two additional years undergoing physical therapy. “We have little doubt in our minds that Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital saved Matthew’s life, and leg,” Brenda Craig said.
Walking Away and Into the FutureIt’s been four years since the accident and Craig now has a new outlook on life – and is unafraid to participate in the sporting activities he loves. “Since the accident, I’ve got back on the water and have gone tubing and kayaking,” he said. “I am a lot more aggressive and competitive in sports now than I was before the accident because I like to challenge myself and it’s cool to get back where I was before the accident.”
Craig plans to carry this same determination to overcome challenges into his college sports career, where he hopes to get involved in acrobatics and rock climbing. In the meantime, while he awaits the start of the fall semester, Craig is getting a jumpstart on his career by reaching out to the same physicians who helped save his leg.
“To be the best anesthesiologist I can be, I want to learn from one of the best physicians -- and one that I’ve come to admire and respect – Dr. Mansour,” Craig said. “He was by far one of the most helpful people throughout my medical treatment and since last summer I’ve had the opportunity to observe him during surgeries. It has been such a cool and interesting experience and I’m looking forward to the day I can help other people and truly make a difference in their lives.”
Also, as a direct result of his experience, Craig now serves on the Patient Advisory Council at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, which is a council made up of kids and teens who want to empower patients and their ideas, and improve their overall experience.
“Since the accident, I’m a lot more positive and grateful for what I have,” he said. “My advice to the kids I work with is to decide what you want to do in life and never let anything stop you from achieving your goal.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 13 Jul 2017 02:31:34 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/returning-to-the-water/Organ Donation Unites Mom with Strangerhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/organ-donation-unites-mom-with-stranger/
Organ Donation Unites Mom with Stranger Who Received Her Son’s HeartFor three long years, Ray Anderson spent his days in and out of the hospital, waiting for the call that would give him his life back.
The same heart failure that felled other members of his family had finally caught up with him in 2008 when a devastating heart attack destroyed his youthful energy, his good health and his independence. To stay alive, he needed a heart transplant, but until he found a match, he had to rely on a machine called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to keep him alive.
Anderson remained connected to the LVAD 24 hours a day, seven days a week, waiting, waiting, waiting for the call. In that time, he watched 98 other people receive a heart. When friends asked how frustrating that must be, Anderson replied with a smile. “They haven’t found a heart big enough for me yet,” he’d say. He became a self-proclaimed ambassador for people on the transplant waiting list and his optimism was infectious. He spent his days in the hospital roaming the hallways, striking up conversations with strangers, urging them to keep the faith that their day would soon come.
Finally, after three long years, came the crushing news from his care team that his health had deteriorated so severely, he would be unable to leave Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center until he received a heart transplant. He would miss birthday parties for his 26 grandchildren. He would miss home-cooked meals. He would miss Sunday afternoons on his couch watching his Dallas Cowboys.
He called his daughter and asked her to bring his grandchildren to the hospital. His faith had started to wane, and this time, he needed his own cheering up.
They walked across the street to Hermann Park to bask in the sunlight and watch the chubby-cheeked toddlers chug by on the train. When a red Memorial Hermann Life Flight® helicopter whirred across the sky and landed atop the hospital’s helipad, Anderson pointed skyward. “You see that helicopter?” he told the girls. “One day, that helicopter is going to bring your PaPa a new heart.”
He had no way of knowing that, at that moment a mere 17 miles away, a grieving mother was bidding farewell to the son whose heart would save Anderson’s life.
Cody Harsey was only 17 years old when he registered to become an organ donor. After his cousin tragically perished at a young age, Cody wanted to do something to honor his memory. He logged in online and signed all the necessary paperwork all by himself.
When Cody died suddenly at age 23, his mother, Stacey Harsey, already knew his wishes. She was also a big proponent of organ donation, and it eased her pain ever so slightly to know that her compassionate son would be able to continue helping others, even after he was gone.
There was no way to fill the gaping hole in her own heart that his death created, but as she grieved for her youngest child in a hospital outside of Houston, it helped somehow to know that someone, somewhere in the world, would get his big heart.
There are nearly 120,000 people across the United States on the transplant waiting list, and because of a critical shortage of organs, some of these people wait for months, even years for a new organ. Others never get that lifesaving call. Every day, 22 people die waiting for a transplant, according to LifeGift, an organ procurement organization that partners with hospitals across North, Southeast and West Texas.
And yet, it only takes one person to save many lives. A single organ donor can give his or her heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, pancreas and intestines, helping a total of eight people. Tissue donations can extend those benefits even further.
Stacey Harsey would later discover that her son helped save the lives of four different people, but one man received a special gift: Not only did he get Cody’s heart, he received the lifesaving donation of Cody’s kidney, too. Harsey knew that she had to meet him.
While Anderson was enjoying the afternoon in the park with his granddaughters, his transplant coordinator at Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center was desperately trying to find him. The moment that Anderson had been praying for had finally come true: he was scheduled to receive not only a new heart, but a new kidney, too. It was a perfect match.
When he finally made his way back to his hospital room and heard the good news, it was almost too much to bear. “I had been scared to death before but I couldn’t show any fear in front of my family,” he said, choking back tears at the memory a year and a half later. “But when they told me they had found a match for me, I was just flooded with emotion.”
That night, Anderson underwent a nine-hour surgery to receive his new heart and new kidney. He knew nothing about the man who gave him the gift of life, and he had no words for the depth of gratitude that he felt. Within a few weeks, he was back home with his family. Within six months, he was able to move again with ease. Within a year, he had begun to feel like his old active self, before his heart failed him eight years prior.
Just days before the first anniversary of his transplant in February 2015, his transplant coordinator pulled him aside after his checkup and handed him a letter from LifeGift. Inside was a note from the mother of his donor.
He waited until he was back home and alone to open it. His eyes scanned the page, taking in the words from Stacey Harsey about a son who loved sports, played the guitar, and was expecting his first child when he died. She had a request: If Anderson was open to the idea, she would love to meet him in person. Anderson could barely contain his excitement. He raced downstairs like a child on Christmas morning to share the news with his son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons.
Anderson and Harsey agreed to meet at an Olive Garden® restaurant near Anderson’s home. They both showed up early before the restaurant opened. The minute she laid eyes on him, she wrapped him in a big hug and tears streamed down her face. The two spent more than four hours at the restaurant, eating, talking, laughing and crying, and snapping photographs.
“I told her, ‘We’re family now,’” Anderson recalled. “And I never want to lose touch.”
Since that first meeting in February, Anderson and Harsey have been nearly inseparable. They invite each other to family gatherings. They’ve gone to each other’s churches. She introduced him to her boss. He brought her to his transplant support group. They once visited Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute-Texas Medical Center together to meet Anderson’s nurses and doctors, and to spread a message of hope to others on the transplant waiting list.
Not long after they first met, Harsey brought Anderson with her to visit Cody’s son who was born a few weeks after Cody died. He is still a baby, not yet 2 years old, but Anderson knows how important it is that he remain a constant presence in the boy’s life. The child will never know his real father. He will never hear Cody’s voice or feel his touch. But Anderson will be there to tell the story of how this boy’s father saved the life of a man he never knew. And when he’s ready, Anderson says he will ask the child to press his ear to his chest and hear the strong and clear beat of a big, healthy heart.
In 2016, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center (TMC) set a new record high in the number of organs transplanted. According to LifeGift’s year-end data, surgeons at Memorial Hermann-TMC transplanted 295 organs, which helped save the lives of 271 individuals.
In recognition of the importance of organ donation, Memorial Hermann-TMC launched an initiative late last year to bolster the number of registered organ donors, answering a call from the federal government urging hospitals to play a greater role in promoting organ donation. At a Campuswide event in December, more than a dozen people signed up to become organ donors, helping contribute to a remarkable boost in LifeGift’s sign-ups last year. In total, LifeGift registered 415 new individuals as organ donors last year, with Memorial Hermann-TMC contributing to 3 percent of that increase.
For more information about organ donation, or to register to become an organ donor, please visit www.donatelife.net. To learn more about organ transplant, visit http://www.memorialhermann.org/transplant.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 08:56:29 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/organ-donation-unites-mom-with-stranger/Official Cortez Family Statementhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/official-cortez-family-statement/
The family of Houston Police Officer Ronny Cortez would like to share the following statement:
“We would like to thank all of our friends, family and neighbors for the great network of support and good wishes. Ronny has been receiving the best care possible at Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute since he arrived on Tuesday afternoon. Ronny is a protector and has always been there to help those in need. Right now we are making sure he gets the best care possible since he is the one in need. The Houston Police Department has been absolutely golden during this process and has been here for our family the entire time. In our eyes, these officers can do no wrong. We ask that everyone continue to send prayers our way as Ronny continues his recovery. We are eternally grateful for your love and support.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 12:53:55 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/official-cortez-family-statement/Researchhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/research/
Innovation, Research and Technology
The Red Duke Trauma Institute, in collaboration with the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, is at the forefront of trauma care research, with more than $52 million in grants, and is a leader in innovation and incorporation of the latest technology, including:
Portable CT ScannerImaging available within the Emergency Department to improve efficiencySpecially equipped operating roomsSpecially equipped endovascular suitesHypothermia protocol for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)Stem cell protocol treatment for pediatric TBISearch Red Duke Trauma Institute Trials
The Center for Translational Injury Research (CeTIR) is behind much of this research, with the goal of leading in the research and development of next-generation medical technologies related to hemostasis, resuscitation, and computerized decision support for trauma patients. The need for translating trauma research from the bench to the bed side is as great a priority and CeTIR is in a unique position to link basic science research to clinical practice.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 07:41:39 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/research/Memorial Hermann Completes “Operation Touchdown” Emergency Preparedness Drillshttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/operation-touchdown/
From devastating floods and natural
disasters, to tragic and unexpected events, hospitals across the country have
been called upon in recent years to respond to unpredictable events that can
easily overwhelm resources and strain staff.With each situation, the healthcare
industry has been challenged to re-examine emergency management efforts to
ensure that everyone, from the paramedics who are first on the scene to the
surgeons in the operating room, are equipped and trained to respond to disaster
the moment it strikes.Memorial Hermann Health System has long
been a leader in the healthcare industry in disaster preparedness. For years, a
dedicated emergency management team has worked closely with hospitals across
the system to complete annual drills to prepare staff for a mass influx of
patients in compliance with federal rules requiring “patient surge” exercises. This year, as Houston prepared to host
millions of visitors for Super Bowl LI, the emergency management team
intensified its efforts to ready Memorial Hermann facilities for the
unthinkable. “We knew that since Houston would be on
the national stage during the Super Bowl, there was a heightened need for
harnessing our energy to prepare our facilities for the various scenarios that
could arise when large groups of people gather in one of the country’s largest
cities,” said Robin Davis, Memorial Hermann Health System Emergency Manager.
“Our aim was to test the process and the plans that we’ve implemented in recent
years to gauge how prepared we are for these types of events.”Over the past few months, 10 Emergency
Centers across the System participated in standardized preparedness exercises
comprised of two parts, a functional tabletop drill followed by a large-scale
disaster exercise, replete with more than 350 volunteers pretending to be
patients with realistic looking injuries, made-up patient histories and lab
results. The exercises also included participation from first responders and
even other hospitals across the Greater Houston region.The exercises, dubbed “Operation
Touchdown,” presented each hospital with different circumstances and stressors
to examine specific areas of the facilities’ disaster response plans and
strengthen the System’s overall ability to respond to any crisis, no matter the
situation. In addition, the drills differed from anything Memorial Hermann has
previously hosted because they incorporated various first responder agencies
that share a close relationship with the System. The Houston Fire Department,
the Montgomery County Hospital District, the Houston Airport System, the U.S.
Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Atascocita Fire Department are just a
few names included in the long list of agencies that participated. “These paramedics and first responders
work closely with our hospitals every single day and it was important for us to
include them so that they could help practice along with us,” Davis said. “In a
real-life scenario, patients aren’t going to just show up to the hospital by
themselves. Paramedics and EMS agencies are critical components to getting
patients safely from the scene into our facilities so we can continue providing
the lifesaving treatment they need.”While the 10 hospitals participating in
the drills were each given a different hypothetical scenario, ranging from a
bus crash on the interstate to an explosion at the airport, all faced the same
challenge of having to create a Family Resource Center, a relatively new concept
for hospitals. “In a disaster scenario, we need to be
able to quickly create a safe space where we can bring in family members who
are looking for their loved ones,” said Amber Johnson, emergency management
planner at Memorial Hermann. “We need to provide them with information that can
help lessen the stress and burden on the Emergency Centers and other areas of
the hospitals that can occur when family members are wandering around looking
for patients.”The drills provided valuable lessons
for the System on best practices for creating Family Resource Centers that can
be applied across the organization, Davis said.“We received a lot of great feedback
from the individuals who will be tasked with setting up those centers and they
came up with some really innovative ideas nobody had thought of before, which
will greatly help us create a robust plan for setting up Family Resource
Centers.”The emergency management team
successfully noted areas for improvement and was pleased to see that time and
time again, every hospital managed to provide excellent clinical care, despite
the hectic circumstances.“Across the entire chain, every group that interacted
with the patients did an outstanding job of responding to the needs of the
patient in front of them,” Davis said. “When it comes to patient care, our
staff knows exactly what to do, no matter the situation.”Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Mon, 30 Jan 2017 10:48:35 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/operation-touchdown/New Chief of Trauma Announced at Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institutehttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/new-chief/
After more
than a year of serving in the interim role, Dr. Michelle McNutt has officially
been named chief of trauma at Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute.The announcement
coincides with her appointment as chief of trauma in the Division of Acute Care
Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.Dr. McNutt
has served as interim director of trauma since 2015, leading Memorial Hermann’s
world-class team of clinicians, researchers and educators in a collaborative
academic partnership with McGovern Medical School aimed at delivering
comprehensive, life-saving services to the residents of the Gulf Coast region.Prior to her
interim role, Dr. McNutt served as the assistant medical director of trauma at
the Institute for three years. “Dr. McNutt’s
commitment to high-quality patient care, her ability to be an effective
communicator and her track record as a proven leader all make her an excellent
choice for chief of trauma at the Red Duke Trauma Institute,” said Brian Dean, Memorial
Hermann Senior Vice President and Regional President-Central Region. “We are
proud to have her at the helm of the busiest trauma center in the nation.”Dr. McNutt grew
up in Richmond, Texas and received a BA in Biology from the University of Texas
at Austin. She earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio. After finishing medical school, she moved to
Houston to complete both her internship and residency, as well as a fellowship
in surgical critical care, at McGovern Medical School. She has been a member of
the UTHealth faculty as an assistant professor of surgery since 2010. Dr. McNutt
became interested in trauma surgery during her residency training, attracted to
the profession due to its fast pace, diversity and critical decision-making
required when taking care of a patient in need.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 03:43:30 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/education-for-ems/Education for Physicians Advanced Practitionershttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/education-for-physicians-advanced-practitioners/
Education for Physicians, Advanced PractitionersATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) – 4 year certificationFirst time certification: 2 Day ClassRecertification: 1 Day ClassACLS and PALS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support) - 2 year certificationFirst time certification: 2 Day Class
Recertification: 1 Day Class
Initial or Recertification: Online Heartcode with Skills Validation*
Instructor Course: 1 Day ClassBLS (Basic Life Support) – 2 year certificationInitial or Recertification: Online Heartcode with Skills Validation**Participant is given a code to take course online. Participant is then instructed to print off course completion form and come in for skills validation.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 17 Jan 2017 03:35:56 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/education-for-physicians-advanced-practitioners/Cheyenne Meyerhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/cheyenne-meyer/
It was an extremely hot but otherwise normal Houston summer day, and Cheyenne Meyer was participating in her last bike ride before the big triathlon championship race. Meyer, an elite level triathlete, was well on her way to becoming a professional triathlete but little did she know that, within seconds, her life would change drastically when she would be struck suddenly by an oncoming car.
Unconscious and with no memory of the accident, she was rushed to the nearest hospital where doctors found her pelvis broken in seven places, her left hip shattered and her left leg dislocated. In addition, her sacrum, sternum, two ribs and left shoulder were fractured.
Meyer’s dislocated leg was causing her to bleed internally, so she was flown by Memorial Hermann Life Flight® to Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute in the Texas Medical Center. Emergency surgery was required to stop the bleeding and prevent permanent damage.
Meyer was still unconscious and therefore unable to speak, but luckily she was wearing an identification bracelet that included her name and loved one’s contact information. The trauma team immediately called her family to meet her at the hospital.
“I feel very fortunate because everyone at Memorial Hermann responded and reacted so well in a time of severe trauma,” Meyer said. “The staff was able to take me where I needed to be and keep me calm during the whole process.”
Dr. Milton “Chip” Routt, an orthopedic trauma surgeon with the Institute and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, was tasked with re-constructing Meyer’s pelvis. “It was a very extensive surgery,” Meyer said. “Dr. Routt was very kind and gave my family updates throughout the six-and-a-half-hour surgery. I could not have asked for a better care team.”
Meyer would spend a total of eight days at the Red Duke Trauma Institute. She then moved to a rehabilitation facility in Cypress for two weeks where she would learn how to live on her own again and perform basic tasks that before she would have taken for granted, like getting dressed or taking a shower.
“None of this journey has been easy; in fact, most of it has been really, really hard for me,” Meyer said. “There are days that I just think about where I was versus where I am now, and it absolutely kills me. But through this tragedy, some really great things have come out of it.”
Her recovery has been slow and steady and has required much patience for an active athlete. She spent six weeks in a wheelchair, followed by two weeks in a walker. After that, she graduated to a pair of crutches, then one crutch, and finally a cane.
“Now I am walking around without any help and going to physical therapy three to four times a week. I can’t run yet, but I can bike and swim,” she said. She is on the path to being a triathlete again and, by this time next month, she expects to be fully recovered.
Meyer says orange is a special color for her. When she competed in triathlons, she would wear orange ribbons in her hair in honor of her mom who passed away in January 2015. And after her accident, Meyer’s teammates all wore orange and even sold t-shirts to show their support.
Through every challenge she has faced during her recovery, Meyer says she has been surrounded by love and support from those who know her best and even from complete strangers. Even though her bike had not been damaged in the collision, she was uncomfortable at the thought of riding it again and decided to sell it. An anonymous supporter heard this and decided to buy her a brand new one. The Good Samaritan’s only request: for her to get back out there as soon as she is ready.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 04:50:15 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/patient-stories/cheyenne-meyer/Memorial Hermann Teams Up With the YMCA to Prevent Fallshttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-teams-up-with-the-ymca-to-prevent-falls/
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injuries. Each year more than 800,000 people are hospitalized because of a fall injury, most often because of a head injury or fracture.Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute and Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital recently teamed up with the Vic Coppinger Family YMCA to host a Fall Prevention and Balance Day. The event offered attendees fall prevention education, fall risk screens as well as home safety education regarding fall hazards.
“Falls are the most common reason people come to our Emergency Center in the Texas Medical Center and we know falls are also a major issue in the Pearland area, said Sarah Schwaller, adult injury prevention coordinator for the Institute. “Our goal is to help educate people on ways to prevent falls and to provide them with information on how to avoid falls altogether and make their homes safer.”
Residents in the Pearland area will soon have the opportunity to enroll in a free fall prevention class that will be scheduled in early 2017. For more information email our injury prevention coordinators at traumaprevention@memorialhermann.orgExtended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Tue, 20 Dec 2016 01:32:46 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/news/memorial-hermann-teams-up-with-the-ymca-to-prevent-falls/Thank You for Your Decades of Partnershiphttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/thank-you-for-your-decades-of-partnership/
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Memorial Hermann Life Flight® and we recently completed our “40 Years of Life Flight, 40 Days of Thanks” campaign, which launched on Aug. 1. During this time, our crew members had the opportunity to show their gratitude to our valued EMS partners and first responders throughout the region who serve a key role in helping Life Flight retrieve Houston’s critically ill and injured patients. I, too, want to personally thank you for your service and partnership, which has been a vital component to Life Flight’s 40 years of lifesaving work.
With your help, Life Flight has transported more than 150,000 patients in the Greater Houston area to date. While this number is hard to comprehend, it is extraordinarily impactful. Together, we have made a difference in the lives of not only these patients, but also of the countless family members and friends who have entrusted us with the critical care of their loved ones.
Simply stated, Life Flight could not have made it this far without you. Thank you for your unwavering, around-the-clock commitment to being the first point of contact for our community’s critically ill and injured, and for giving them access to care that could be the difference between life and death. With Life Flight in the sky and our dedicated first responders on the ground, we look forward to many more years of lifesaving work ahead.
With deepest gratitude and appreciation,
Tom FlanaganVice President and Chief Operating OfficerMemorial Hermann-Texas Medical CenterExtended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:02:30 GMThttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/life-flight/thank-you-for-your-decades-of-partnership/Pediatric Trauma Programhttps://trauma.memorialhermann.org/services/pediatric-trauma-program/
Pediatric Trauma Program
The pediatric trauma program at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is equipped to meet the needs of pediatric patients with conditions ranging from minor injuries and illnesses to major trauma. Our Emergency Center (EC) is one of two pediatric Level I trauma centers in Houston, and is the only trauma center in the region able to admit patients of all ages to be cared for at the same facility. This provides a unique advantage for families, especially in trauma situations when multiple family members are admitted to the EC, because we have the ability to care for the entire family unit under one roof.
For patients needing critical care, increasing the chance for survival and recovery means getting the best care as quickly as possible. Through our hospital-based air ambulance provider, Memorial Hermann Life Flight®, we are able to provide rapid transport within a 150-mile radius of the Texas Medical Center and administer emergency, specialized care to patients from infants to adolescents. We also provide a ground ambulance service for cases up to 300 miles away.
Important Facts: Children’s Memorial Hermann was the first American College of Surgeons verified pediatric Level I Trauma Center in Houston.Children’s Memorial Hermann is a national leader for interventional clinical trials in traumatic brain injury, advanced neuroimaging and non-accidental trauma.Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center participates in The American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP), and our survival rate for pediatric trauma cases significantly exceeds the national benchmark.In 2016, Children’s Memorial Hermann received the award for Pediatric Systems of Care from the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC), which is organized under the authority of the Texas Department of Health and works to establish standards of care and protocols for consideration and adoption by area health care providers.Extended content from Memorial Hermann Texas Trauma Institute